Jackpot!

This is what Nathanael exclaimed as we opened the door to P.O. Box 506 this morning.  We found it overflowing with responses to his Knock Out Cancer Challenge, and many were addressed to Savannah as well.  All of the envelopes, with the exception of two, were left with no return addresses.  Thank you, dear readers, if you are among those who sent the anonymous dollars.  They are wholeheartedly appreciated by not only the children, but by me and by our Relay For Life team as a whole.  Your kindness humbles me.  


The kids wanted to thank you all in their own way.  I apologize for my loud voice; I didn't realize I was holding the camera with the mic right near my mouth until we played it back.  

Yankees Fans and Mermaids

Two new hairdos for a special event coming up.  Stay tuned!

Mom:  Natty, I have some exciting Yankees news about the blog.

Nathanael:  What?

Mom: Well, some of the writers and researchers from the YES Network have checked it out.  A writer for ESPN has, too.

Nathanael: What's ESPN?

Mom:  It's a tv channel for a bunch of different sports.  It's the channel that Salsarita's usually has playing when we go there.

Nathanael:  WOW!  I wonder if any of the real Yankees have looked at it?

Mom:  Well, a former Yankee named Chuck Knoblauch has looked at it.  All of these guys have found out about the blog through my Twitter account.

Savannah:  What's a Twittter?

Mom:  It's something on the internet where you can write what you're doing or about things you want people to know.  Daddy and I spend a lot of time on Twitter after you two go to bed, letting people know about your blog and why you're trying to raise money.

Savannah: Well, why can't you just call them on the phone?

Mom:  Because I don't know their phone numbers.

Savannah:  So look them up.

Mom:  *speechless*

Nathanael:  I hope Derek Jeter reads it!

Mom:  We'll see who we can get there, bud.  We have lots of readers and we're trying to get people to spread the word so we'll have more.  We want everyone to know what awesome kids you are.

Savannah:  Well, I want Ariel to read it.

Mom:  Sav, Ariel isn't real.  You know that.  She's just a cartoon character on a movie.  She can't really read.

Savannah:  Yes, mama, actually she can.

Mom:  Nope.  Sorry, kiddo.

Savannah:  Okay, well then how did she read Ursula's agreement before she signed it?

Mom:  *speechless*

Savannah's Solo

Mom here.  Been a rough few days around the house.  Unruly kids with germs, mom's got an ear infection, and some stress over Gran, aka my mom.  There are some days when it seems like one thing after another after another is thrown our way.  There are days when I'm ready to throw in the towel, thinking that I can't handle *this* part of life.

But then a sweet voice comes up behind me, asking if she can sing a song for the blog "so the readers can know Ariel's song," and the stress temporarily melts away.  One look into those baby blue eyes, and all seems right with the world.  Until, of course....well, just watch.





I love you, Sav.  *hack*

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.

Fundraiser #3

Fundraiser #1 - Lemonade and Brownie Stand - successful!

Fundraiser #2 - Nathanael's Knock Out Cancer Challenge - ongoing!

Fundraiser # 3 - Kick Cancer In The Can and Seal Up The Can Bottle and Can Drive - started tonight and ongoing.

Mom here.  So glad that my husband introduced the kids to the phrase "the can" as another way of describing one's behind.  It came in handy for when the kids picked the name for their latest fundraiser.  They dictated some information and I typed, adding a little addendum to the end of a flier that we copied and distributed together throughout our neighborhood.  

Thanks to the suggestion of a neighbor, the kids kicked off their bottle and can drive this evening.  We were originally going to invite people to donate their extra cans and bottles, dropping them off at our house this weekend, but we decided to extend the invitation through mid-July.  We're all anxious to see how many cans and bottles are donated!

Nathanael:  Please feel free to drop your bottles and cans off at our house! Wait, how are people going to know where to send their bottles and cans to?

Mom:  Our address is on the flier, bud.  It's just for our neighbors and local friends, remember?

Nathanael:  Ohhhhhh yeah!  I think "kick cancer in the can" is funny.  "The can."  Heeeeehehehehe!

Savannah:  "The can" means coolie!  *insert silly snicker*  I don't want to touch the bottles if they're yucky.

Mom:  Me either!  I'll probably wear gloves when it comes time to return bottles.  But we'll be pretty grateful for any that we get, won't we?

Nathanael:  Yeah we are!  I'll be so grateful that I'm going to throw a party and make a humongous sign telling the whole world how many bottles we got.  So if we get 100, I'll make a huge "100" sign!

Savannah: Natty, will you touch the bottles if they're yucky?

Nathanael:  Yes.  But how would they be yucky?

Mom:  Well, it would depend on where people keep them, but some of them could be old and have spiders in them.

Savannah:  Or poop.

**If anyone else in New York State would like to participate, please feel free to send your bottle deposit slips to:

Nathanael and Savannah Haskell

P.O. Box 506

Buffalo, NY 14226

As always, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping to fight cancer!

Welcome to our readers, from near and far!

Mom:  You know, guys, we have A LOT of different countries visiting your blog.  We've marked them all on our map, but we have two more to add today.

Nathanael:  Do you know how to speak all of the languages from those different countries?

Mom:  I know a few, but most of them, no.  Do you have a message for our readers all over the world?

Nathanael:  Did I already tell them thank you for reading our blog?

Mom:  I think so.  

Nathanael:  Then can I just say hello to them?

Savannah:  Can I tell them I like ponies?

Mom:  Natty, we can say hello or we can welcome them to our blog.  Which one?

Savannah:  I WANT to say that I like ponies!

Mom:  Sav, next time.  Let's do something to show that we appreciate the fact that all of these people have taken the time to visit our blog.

Savannah: *tsk*  Okayyyy.

Nathanael: I think I want to say "welcome."  That sounds more polite than "hi."

Mom:  Okay then.  I can find a website that will translate the American way of saying "welcome" to the different languages of the people who have visited.  Sound good?

Nathanael:  YES!!

Savannah:  What does "translate" mean?

Mom:  It means that I can find a way to say "welcome" in langauges that people from other countries can understand.

Savannah:  Oh.  Well, find the word for "pony," too.

So, ladies and gentlemen all around the world, from my family to yours, we say:

Welcome!

欢迎!

Welkom!

Bienvenue!

Willkommen!

Καλώς ήρθατε!

Benvenuto!

歓迎!

환영!

Boa vinda!

 

Добро

пожаловать!

¡Recepción!

Welkom!

ترحيب

ברוך הבא

स्वागत 

Selamat datang!

 

Fáilte roimh chách!

 

elkommen!

 

באַגריסן

Välkommen!

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

Singing For Our Gran - Take 1

Mom here. Nathanael has loved Phil Collins' song "You'll Be In My Heart" since he was a baby, and it has been a staple at bedtime, sung to him almost every night before drifting off to sleep. I asked the kids if they had a special song that they would like to put on the blog for Gran, and, without missing a beat, Nathanael asked if they could sing this song. Once Savannah obliged, we began the arduous process of recording. We have a few takes that I'd like to share. This first one is hilarious. Nathanael singing, and Savannah staring into the camera like Danny Torrence from "The Shining."