Two Weeks Later and We're On The News!

Mom here.  The kids and I were invited by our local ABC affiliate, WKBW-TV, to sit down for a short interview about the blog's origination and why the kids have chosen to let the world know what they're doing.


We were up bright and early and took the exciting drive to the studio.  The kids' jaws dropped as we pulled into the parking lot.

They were wonderful.  Savannah was a little camera shy, I was beyond nervous, but Nathanael was a natural.  This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows him.

We would like to extend our deepest thanks to Patrick Taney and the WKBW News 7 team.  Nathanael told me on the way home, "Mama, Patrick Taney helped to make our dream come true of letting the whole world know what we're doing."

Two weeks after going live, our blog has had approximately 2500 hits, followers from 13 countries, and retweets/mentions from approximately 100 celebrities on Twitter, ranging from movie stars like Minnie Driver to television stars like Tim Daly to athletes and sports news icons such as Aaron Boone, Bob Lorenz, Jack Curry, and Chuck Knoblauch.  Not bad for a little kids' blog.

We met and exceeded our initial goal of $1000.  When we reached $1000, we attained the "Rising Stars" level for fundraising for the Relay For Life.  It was time to start working toward the next level.  We have met and exceeded our revised goal of $2000.   When I learned about the different levels of fundraising, I decided to shoot for the moon and make our ultimate goal $15,000.  If a team raises $15,000 in donations, it reaches the "Sapphire Level" of fundraising.  The "blue" level, if you will.  My mom's favorite color is blue.  There was no question about it. Attaining that goal, that sapphire level of fundraising, will make this event even more special to me than it already is.  The Cave Crashers will do their best to fill in that purple box and raise $15,000!

Thank you, dear readers, for your support and for keeping this blog going.  Thank you to those of you who have accepted Nathanael's Knock Out Cancer challenge.  You have all touched my heart.

Kick Cancer In The Can Kickoff

Mom here.  Today was the first day that people were asked to drop off cans and/or bottles to support the kids' efforts in fundraising.  Friends and neighbors were kind enough to donate, and it was off to Wegmans we all went, again, like a Griswold Family Vaca, to return what we had received.

Putting in the first of their donated cans.  I was terrified they were going to cut their fingers off.

  Nathanael is fascinated by the conveyor belt that brings the bottles into the "land of the unknown."                

Savannah, all smiles as usual.

Whew!  That was hard work!

After about 45 minutes, all of the cans and bottles had been returned.  Earnings for our first day of the Kick Cancer In The Can and Seal Up The Can fundraiser totaled $36.70!  Not bad for one day!


Thank you, R., for your very generous donation of your bottles and cans.  The kids were laughing the entire time, thinking it was hilarious that you two brought so many bags over.  


This fundraiser is open until some time in mid-July, just prior to the walk 

Nathanael's Knock Out Cancer Challenge - Update 1

Mom here.  Nathanael issued his challenge on Monday of this week.  We decided that we would check the P.O. Box once a week, and chose Saturdays because it would be on our way home from karate.

The entire family went to the post office, almost as if it were a Griswold Family Vacation.  The kids knew right where the box is, and I couldn't unlock it quickly enough.  We were getting lots of stares for taking pictures in the post office, but we didn't care.  We were all surprised to find 3 envelopes in the box!  One was sent to both Nathanael and Savannah, one to just Nathanael, and one to just Savannah.  I knew who one of the envelopes was from, and R., I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You know what this is like, and the fact that you thought of my family has touched my heart.  Sender of the other two envelopes, you chose to stay anonymous, you sneaky devil, but you made the kids' day including a note to each of them.  They were so excited to receive your dollars, and *I* appreciate it with my whole heart.


In the end, on our first day of checking the box, a total of $14 was received as part of the challenge.


So the challenge has been officially accepted.  I think we're all looking forward to next Saturday!


For those of you who haven't read the challenge yet, take a look at Nathanael's Knock Out Cancer Challenge.  He's challenging all of our readers to send just $1 to the post office box listed below because, in his words, "One dollar is a small amount of money...but imagine how much it could help in our fight against cancer."  Are *you* up for a challenge?


Thank you again to those of you who have sent donations so far.  You have a special place in my heart.


If you'd like to accept Nathanael's challenge, please send your donation to:


Nathanael and Savannah Haskell
P.O. Box 506
Buffalo, NY 14226


We will be logging all donations onto the team website once a week.

Future Pharmacists of America

Mom here.  The kind folks at our Wegmans Pharmacy indulged my children in a tour of the inner workings of a pharmacy.  The kids' aunt, my older sister, is a pharmacist and when Nathanael found this out he had no less than 100 questions about what a pharmacist does, how they help people, how someone becomes a pharmacist, etc.  So for the last 6 months, he has very adamantly insisted that he would like to study pharmacy when he grows up.  Most kids vacillate on a daily basis between this and that when it comes to what they'd like to be when they grow up, but not Nathanael.  Savannah's hooked now, too, and she and Nathanael have plans to open their own pharmacy some day.  Thank you, Wegmans, for indulging my kids' request and absolutely making their day.  


Mom, on the way home: Can you believe they gave you a tour, guys?  I thought they'd say no, but wow - you got to see what a real pharmacist like Aunt C. does every day!
Nathanael:  I KNOW!  And we got BOTTLES, too!

Savannah:  I already know what I'm keeping in mine.  Lite Brite pieces.  All of them.

Nathanael:  Um, not the blue ones, Savannah.  I'm going to keep medicine in mine.

Mom:  Real medicine?  You don't have any real medicine.
Nathanael:  No, medicine that I make in my lab.  That's part of why I want to be a pharmacist like Aunt C.  I want to be able to mix things up and give them to people to help them.

Savannah:  Me too!

Mom:  So why exactly do you want to be a pharmacist, guys?
Savannah:  To help people, and to give them stickers and bottles and cookies like we got today!

Nathanael:  I want to be able to give people medicine they need to feel better.  If I could be a pharmacist today, I would make so much medicine in my lab....orange flavored, so that it wouldn't taste gross...and send it in a tube like they have at the bank to Gran's house so she could take it and be better.

Mom:  That's pretty awesome, guys.  I think you'd both make great pharmacists, and I know you'd do your best to help people feel better.  I'm so proud of you.
Savannah:  Thank you.  *shy smile*

Nathanael:  Thanks, mama.  I'm proud of you, too.

Nathanael's Knock Out Cancer Challenge

Nathanael is challenging all readers of the blog (who have not already donated) to give just $1 (or more) to our family's Relay For Life team. Nathanael is just 5 years old, with a heart of gold and a strong desire to raise funds in honor of his Gran who is battling stage 4 lung cancer.

To accept his challenge,  please send any donation, big or small, to:
Nathanael and Savannah Haskell
P.O. Box 506
Buffalo, NY 14226

All donations received will be immediately logged on our team's website with your name unless you prefer to remain anonymous.

You may also visit our Relay For Life team page at The Cave Crashers.

First goal reached!

Thanks to the kindness and generosity of family, friends, and strangers, our original goal of $1000 has been reached! At the kids' request, I increased our team goal to $2000. Can we do it? With hope, anything is possible...and we shall find out! The kids are beyond thrilled by the number of international visitors we have had to the blog. We have been keeping track of the visiting countries on our map of the world. We're working on a special message for all of our readers, so please stay tuned! Also, are you one to accept a challenge? Nathanael has come up with a mighty challenge for all of our readers. Please keep your eye out! Wishing you all a beautiful day, McKenzie

And...cut! That's a wrap!

Little sister's out of the picture on this third and final take. Maybe it's the emotion of the song, the emotion of my family's situation, but watching my little boy sing to/for his Gran had me in tears behind the camera.

Singing For Our Gran - Take 2

The kids decided to sing together. The song carries such a sweet message, but these two turkeys kept making each other laugh.

Our first fundraiser

Nathanael:
We had a lemonade and brownie stand yesterday. We started at 10 a.m. and ended at 4:30 p.m. We hung signs at the end of our street. We charged 25 cents for a cup of lemonade and 25 cents for each brownie. It took a while for our first customer to show up, but when she did she told us to keep the change!

Pretty soon more people came. Some neighbors, some strangers, and Daddy even came home on his lunch and ordered one cup of lemonade and one brownie. A few people even came and said they wanted to donate to the walk but didn't want a brownie or lemonade! Everyone who came either told us to keep the change or gave us a tip.

Mom here. Normally, at this time of year where we live, it's still snowing and we're all wearing our woolies. However, the last week has been in the high 70s and 80s. Yesterday was 81 degrees and full sun. Six and a half hours in the sun. Six and a half hours. The dedication these kids showed (they DID NOT want to quit) and the high spirits they maintained was so admirable, and I am incredibly proud of them. Their manners were impeccable, and it was obvious that they were truly grateful for every customer who came, for every cent they earned.

Nathanael: By the end of our sale we earned $40! Mom added it to our team's website and we got to see the purple line go up just a little bit.

Mom: Hey guys, do you think we'll reach our goal of $1000?

Nathanael: Yes! We will! I know it!
Savannah: Yes! Yes!

Our Team Logo and Relay For Life Information

Nathanael: This is logo for our team. Our team name is The Cave Crashers. Mom said she might want to tweak it but I don't want her to because I helped to design it. The only thing she can change is the ribbon because the ribbon for Gran's sickness is white, not black. The yellow in the back in supposed to look like a big CRASH!

Mom here. This is where I'll include a link to our team's Relay page where you can obtain more information about the event.

The Cave Crashers Relay For Life Team

Meet Savannah

Hi! I'm Savannah. I'm 3 years old but I'm going to be 4 in May.

I like to play with my stuffed animals. I LOVE my ballet class, and I've even been to a real ballet before. I can do good ballet leaps and I'm also good at plies.

I love Disney princesses, and my favorite princess is Ariel. I like to pretend to be all of the princesses, and I have a few dresses just like the real princesses. My favorite princess dress is the Rapunzel dress.

Mom: Why do you want to help raise money for our team?

Savannah: Because I love Gran.

Mom: Is there anything else you want to tell the readers about yourself?

Savannah: I'm learning how to read. I just got a new bike with kittens on it and I like to ride it up and down the sidewalk. I like ponies and I would really like to have one in our backyard. My favorite books to read are Disney princess books, Pinkalicious books, and Berenstain Bear books. I always ask mom and dad to read The Berenstain Bears and the Slumber Party book because I think it's funny.

I like to watch movies on family movie night. My favorite movie is The Little Mermaid. Mom, can we watch a movie right now?

Mom: Maybe in a little while.

Savannah: Okay.

Mom: Is there anything else you want to tell the readers?

Savannah: I like to do math with Natty. I like to find pictures of bush babies to scare mama because she gets creeped out by their big eyes. I like bush babies. Mom likes bush babies.

Mom: No way. They scare me almost as much as clowns do. Are you done for now?

Savannah: Mom loves clowns. Now I'm done.

Meet Nathanael

Hi! I'm Nathanael. I'm 5 years old. We are going to do a walk for our Gran in July. Our team name is The Cave Crashers and I helped design the logo for our team.

Mom: Can you tell the readers a little bit about why you want to raise money?

Nathanael: Because I love Gran and I want to send the money somewhere so that people can stop getting the kind of sickness that Gran has.

Mom: Why don't you tell the readers a little bit about yourself.

Nathanael: I like starfish and snakes. I have a yellow belt in karate. The type of karate I take is called Kempo. I like to play with my stuffed guys. I LOVE to build with Legos. The thing I love the most is my family. I'm homeschooled and I love it. Right now I'm in kindergarten. My favorite thing to learn is math. I'm really good at reading already! I think I'm even ready for a level 3 reader! I just got a new bike that says "RATTLESNAKE" on it. It's green, which is one of my favorite colors. I also like the color blue. I love riding my new bike.

That's all I want to say for now.