Don't Stop Believin', brought to you by Excedrin Migraine

I kid, I kid.


A little.


There are many things my beautiful children do well for ages 5 and 3.


I say this with my heart full of mother's love, but....singing isn't one of them.  


Both kids, particularly Nathanael, have been singing the refrain to Journey's Don't Stop Believin' this past week.  It has become our unofficial theme song around here.  The kids don't understand the lyrics, obviously, although Nathanael thinks it's cool that the guy singing the song took a train at midnight.  They hear the words "don't stop believin'," though, and their thoughts go immediately to Gran.  They refuse to do anything but be filled with hope and won't stop believin' that their fundraising efforts will help change the world, even Gran's world.


Nathanael asked me a few days ago if he and Savannah could have a "dance party" to Don't Stop Believin' to put on the blog so that they could remind our readers to "never give up hope."  How could I resist such a request?


Simon Cowell would not approve.  It's loud.  It's shrill.  But their intent is obvious, and the unexpected message at the very end comes from their mouths, their hearts, and is filled with inspiration that, in my opinion, is infectious..

On pride

I believe the children are our future

Teach them well and let them lead the way

Show them all the beauty they possess inside

Give them a sense of pride to make it easier

Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be.

I realize how cliche this may be, given the recent passing of Whitney Houston, but this particular verse from Greatest Love of All has been going through my head for the last few days.  When we last checked our P.O. Box, someone included a note to me that said "It's children like yours that give me hope for our future."  As a mom, that is perhaps that greatest compliment I have ever received.  

My husband and I don't feel as though we have done anything differently than any other parents.  We love our kids.  We teach them right from wrong.  We teach them that love, honesty, and kindness and the most important virtues one can possess. These children of ours, ages 5 and almost 4, have taken what we have taught them thus far and run with it.  Every word on this blog is truly from them.  Every expression of love is unprompted.  Every expression of desire to fix the world and rid the world of "the kind of sickness Gran has" is genuinely theirs.  We feel incredibly blessed to have these two.  They're good kids.  They're not without their days, as all young children have, but the sense of pride we have for them is overwhelming, especially since the planning for the Relay has begun. They have become an inspiration to others, and have been invited to participate in other local Relays.  They have a following of celebrities, athletes, top-level professionals, musicians, and regular people like ourselves.  People are inspired by them, and I hope that, one day, they realize just how amazing that is and how amazing Daddy and I think they are.

I think I had a good teacher growing up.  My mom taught me well.  My mom taught me the importance of inner beauty and what made me unique from others.  To this day she reminds me.  She told me, and still tells me, to be proud of who I am.  I hope that I can do the same for Nathanael and Savannah, and that they grow up knowing how special they are, no matter what they do, no matter what they become.  We'll always be proud of you, kiddos.  We love you more than all the stars in the sky.   

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.  

Up Close and Personal

Not with Robert Redford, unfortunately.  
I wanted the kids to have a little running dialogue on here, so while we were waiting for karate class to start, we sat in the car and played interviewer and interviewee.  Interviewees, to be precise.


Mom:  Who would like to talk about their favorite part of the blog?
Nathanael, making sure he was the first to answer: Me!
Savannah:  That's not fair!  Natty answered first!
Mom, who has a little bit had it with the week: It's fair because Natty answered first, Sav.  You can have a turn after him.
Savannah:  It's still not fair.
Mom, really REALLY wanting to go into a lecture about how life isn't fair but realizing it would be lost on a 3 year old: Natty will answer first, and then you can answer.  Enough said.
Okay, Natty.  You're up.  What's your favorite part about our blog?
Nathanael:  That's easy.  My Knock Out Cancer Challenge.
Mom:  Why?
Nathanael:  Because I've gotten some responses to it, and because I can see it anytime I want to on the blog.  And our blog makes us kind of famous. (at least he's honest)
Mom: Well that sounds like a good answer to me.  How about you, Savannah?  What's your favorite part about having a blog?
Savannah:  Making videos.
Mom:  Do you have a favorite video?
Savannah: The princess one.
Mom, realizing this is going to be like pulling teeth now:  Why do you like the princess one so much?
Savannah:  Because I did it myself (forget the fact that I had to feed her the lines for some of it) and it's MY challenge and not Natty's.
Mom:  It's fun to have something of your own, isn't it?
Savannah: Yes.  Like a horse I could ride all by myself.

I wasn't about to get into the horse discussion again.


Mom:  So guys, we've raised a lot of money so far.  Between what we have gotten donated directly to our team, and the fundraisers you two are coming up with, we've raised the most of all the teams who are walking in Geneva, and we still have 3 months to go until the walk!  How important do you think that money is?
Nathanael:  Well, the different fundraisers are fun, and counting the money we make from them is fun, but I know the real reason we're doing it.
Mom:  Why, buddy?
Nathanael:  Well, we're trying to help people who have the sickness like Gran (he doesn't like saying the word cancer very much), and I hope that some of the money goes to the hospital where Gran gets her medicine so that we're helping her get better.
Savannah: I hope ALL the money goes to Gran.
Mom:  Well, the money that we're raising will go to an organization that gives support to people with cancer and their families.  They also help people understand ways they can prevent different kinds of cancer by being healthy, and they do research to find ways to treat different cancers.  
Nathanael:  That's cool.  So we're helping them do all that?
Mom:  Yes sir.  That's where the money you're helping to raise will go to.


Mom: Okay, I have one more question for each of you.  Savannah first this time.
Savannah:  Good.
Mom:  Savvy, what does the word hope mean to you?
Savannah:  I hope Gran feels better.  I love her and I want her to  be able to visit us again and play with us!
Mom:  I think that's a great answer, kiddo.  How about you, Natty?  What does the word hope mean to you?
Nathanael:  It means wishing.  I wish Gran would feel better.  And I remember that we learned how daffodils represent hope, and we have lots of daffodils growing in our garden, so it's like our whole house is surrounded by hope.
Mom: It certainly is.  Okay, it's just about time to go into karate.  Is there anything you'd like to say to our readers?
Savannah:  Hi Gran!  Love, Savannah.   I love you!
Nathanael:  I don't know what to say.  Can I say "could you please donate?"
Mom:  Sure, if you want to.
Nathanael: Could you please think about donating?  We love our Gran!  I love you, Gran!  Knuckles!

Mom:  Know what?  I'm very proud of the both of you.
Nathanael:  For what?
Mom:  Because you're good kids with big hearts, and you're doing a good thing.
Nathanael:  Thanks, mama.  I'm proud of you, too.
Savannah:  Me too.
Mom:  Thanks, kiddos.  I love you.

They'll never really understand why I'm proud, but I have a feeling they'll never forget the good that they're doing.  I think this will stick with them for always.

Just For You

Through all of the fundraising, through all of the ideas on how to bring in the green for the American Cancer Society and our Relay For Life team, never once have we lost sight of why we're really doing any of this.  


Gran.  My mom.  


This was my idea, as I was feeling very sentimental this afternoon and I asked Nathanael if he would be willing to do something for the blog that would mean something to me and to Gran, but not related to raising money.  He happily obliged, and Savannah was more than happy to sit by, be cute, and listen.


When I was around Nathanael's age, my mom used to read me the Mercer Mayer Little Critter books.  I remember many of them, but our together favorite was Just For You.  The copy was so tattered and loved because it was read so often.  


On my first Christmas as a new mom, back in 2006, my mom gave me a special present for me to share with Nathanael.  It was a bound collection of Mercer Mayer books, the first being Just For You.  Hormonal and postpartum, I remember being moved to tears a) that she remembered, and b) that I would be able to share this story with my own child as she and I had shared, enjoyed, and loved it.  We have, and Savannah, too.


I wish I could do a million and one special things for my mom right now.  This comes to mind, and it's so trivial, but if she sees this, she'll understand.  


Mom, I wanted to do something special, just for you....








...and I did.

On twisters, The Exorcist, and pennies

Recognize the bike?  It's a replica of the bike Almira Gulch rode in The Wizard of Oz.  It's been that kind of day around here.  Sweet children seem to have fallen off the wagon....er, bike, and turned into Almira Gulch and her male counterpart.  And who turns into that big ol' green gal who throws a fireball at a scarecrow, all because she sent them to bed early?  


Mom here.  


Whew Nelly, there must be a full moon, or something in the water, or maybe their cuteness was just a clever ruse, but I swear I was ready for pea soup to come spewing out of their mouths and at least one 360 degree spin of the head to happen.  My husband said they're just tired from being up early and that they're just being kids.  Psssh.  What does he know?


Some friends of my husband have been dropping off pennies for the kids to collect for the fundraiser.


Like the clever segue there?


...erm..  As I was saying, my husband knows some very thoughtful people who thought a "penny drive" might be a fun way of raising funds for the Relay.  Genius.  My kids love money.  Not in the the-more-we-have-the-more-we-can-buy way, but they love finding money in stores and stashing it in their piggy banks.  They each have their own bank account.  I wouldn't call them mini-Scrooges, but they are very frugal, and it seems to come naturally.  This is a good thing.  


"Penny drive" has blossomed into "coin drive," as we have begun to receive more than just pennies.  We took the kids to our bank today, which has its own coin counter, and they had a blast dumping in handful after handful.  At the end, they had $35.17.  Nathanael said we can call them "hope pennies," and thus, another fundraiser was born.  


Change For Hope, Hope For Change will start tomorrow.  We're going to go around to some of our local businesses, restaurants and stores where we're "regulars," and ask if we can keep a canister near the registers to collect any spare pennies any patrons may feel compelled to give, with a slip of paper on each canister explaining our story and where the money will be going.  


Mom, ducking in case the pea soup comes flying: So where do you think we should go tomorrow to ask if we can leave containers for pennies?


Savannah: Um, the mall.


Mom, already knowing the answer:  Why the mall?


Savannah: So we can stay for a few whiles (her trademark phrase) and so I can buy something. 


Mom: Well, maybe we can go to the mall another time for a few whiles and see what we see.  Let's see if we can think of something closer to home.


Nathanael: Starbucks!  They sure know us there!


Mom, having just been thrown under the bus by her kid:  Uh...yep.  They sure do.  We can see if they'll do something like that.  Anywhere else?


Nathanael: Salsaritas!  We go there almost every day!


We don't.


Mom: We do not!  But they know us there, that would be a good place.


Savannah:  THE. MALLLLLL.


Mom, ignoring Savannah:  That's a good start.  Maybe we can ask Laportas, too.  


Savannah: Mom.


Mom: Savannah.


Savannah:  MOM!


I swear, this is when I thought her head was going to spin.


Mom, in a sickeningly sweet voice: Yes, Savvy?


Savannah:  We can ask the bank for all the money back that we just dumped in the machine.


Mom, feeling bad for likening her innocent 3 year old to Reagan: Can't do that, kiddo.  We traded those coins for dollars, and now the dollars are going to be donated to our team.


Savannah: Ohhhhh.


I'd just like to say that, when we found out Savannah was a girl, we briefly considered the name Raegan.  


Nathanael:  Listen.  If this is going to work, we're going to need at least a thousand buckets and a thousand places to bring them.  I don't want to wait in the car.


Annnnnd.....cue creepy crab walk down the stairs?


I'm curious to see how this one turns out.  I frequently see plastic containers on market counters around the area, and while they're never chock-full, it does seem that people pay attention and plop in a few coins.  While a few pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters won't cure cancer, together they're combined and put toward research and resources that will, hopefully some day, help to put an end to all cancers.  

Stepping Up

Our little karate kid was feeling frustrated that he hasn't received a lot of response to his challenge, and he asked if he could make another Knock Out Cancer video.




How can *anyone* resist such a challenge?  


If you or anyone you know would like to accept Nathanael's challenge and make a donation, big or small, directly to him or to our team, please make checks out to The American Cancer Society and mail to:


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


We all thank you for the donations received so far.  Your money is going to a great cause, and I like to think that, some day, no one will ever have to know this awful disease.