Cookies for Kids' Cancer Bake Sale

 Years ago, my friend Renee, she is here in the picture right above these words, let me know about a friend of her's, Gretchen.  Gretchen's son, Liam, had Neuroblastoma.  Gretchen had decided at Christmas time to bake cookies to raise money for research into pediatric cancer cures.  That first holiday season they baked 96,000 cookies and raised $400,000.  From there, Cookies has morphed into an organization that raises money to fund trials for pediatric cancer.  You can order cookies from their site or hold a bake sale.  Charlotte's bake sale raises more money than any other sale in the country.  Last year, my friend Jill and I volunteered for the afternoon.  We were amazed over and over again the generosity of people.  This year, my friend Renee came up from Augusta to work the bake sale with us.  We were lucky to have Gretchen in town to do a book signing.  Each year it is a privilege to help this wonderful charity.  Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age 

of 18 and 100% of the profits of bake sales go to fund trials.  Go to their website at www.cookiesforkidscancer.org for more information.

December 2nd

 We hit the town for the Harrisburg Tree Lighting (here the kids are with our neighbor Mary).

 We were the first in line to meet Santa.  First time that has ever happened.  No one had lined up so we were very excited to be first.  Declan didn't let us hear what he was getting because he is testing to see if it really is Santa getting him the gift or we are.

December 1st

We do a family activity advent calendar as our countdown to Christmas.  December 1st was build a fort and eat dinner in it (thanks Jill, big hit!).  While the kids and I were at their yoga class, Daddy built a fabulous fort big enough for all us to eat in!

 You had to sign in before you could come into the eating establishment.

I made it out of clay

 The kids were playing with their dreidels before dinner the other night.  They are really good, know what all the words mean and what a great math activity to boot!

Warning...gross

 Just had to post cause it made me laugh so hard (while I was being nauseated).  We came home the other night to the dog having gone to the bathroom all over the dining room.  We have a tiny house so the whole place was permeated with that smell.  So disgusting.  Well the man who has had people excrete all kinds of bodily fluids on him in the back of the ambulance cannot handle it.  He gets so grossed out and acts like he is going to die.  Yes, he is wearing a mask....sprayed with a ton of perfume so that he can't smell it.  The picture below killed me...she managed to go on the cord of the space heater.  That is what you call accuracy!

Blocks!

 Declan was playing with the Jenga blocks on Thanksgiving (ours was on Friday since Rich worked Thursday).  He told me to tell him what to build.  Of course that wasn't what he really wanted.  He just wanted me to give him a category and he would chose what to build.  So I said a building, and he chose a museum.  It was complete with an ocean room, art gallery, staff room, restroom, dinosaur room.  There were also emergency exits (I suppose a nod to his safety dad who has turned Declan into a safety guy as well!).

2 Carolina Panthers fans

Rocket launch

We got Declan an actual rocket for his birthday...he took Terefech and neighbor Mary out to a field and launched it.  Everyone thought it was cool...the adults particularly!  Three launches and they were all a success.  Declan was generous enough to let Terefech and Mary press the button for a launch.  Next time, I am sure Daddy, Tara, Matt, Papa, and Alex are all going to be begging for a turn.

Halloween

Apparantly, these are the only pictures we have from Halloween.  Declan wore his astronaut costume, same one from last year.  He wears it all time although he no longer says he is going to be an astronaut. Now he is going to be an astro physicist!  Terefech was Super Girl.  Initially she wanted to be a princess but loved the Super Girl costume.  Next year she may be a princess although I have convinced her that we will find a princess from history that had a purpose other than looking good!

 We trick or treated with Sarah (a friend from preschool) and Mary (our next door neighbor).  Declan and Mary have trick or treated together almost their whole lives!