Love from Natalie's Mom

I prepared last week for a weekend of family and food by eating lightly dressed lettuce for lunch and dinner everyday. (Well, except for that pizza buffet I talked myself into, but I'm pretty sure that didn't count because I was eating it with Eve, whose presence alone ensures I burn a few hundred calories just by doing loops around the pizza bar and repeating the phrases, Eve, sit down and Eve, no more salt on your pizza and Eve, stop running into the kitchen.)


Most festivities I plan revolve around food. I can't help it. I just love it. Judge me if you will, but I don't know too many people who don't get excited when four pounds of candied bacon hits the plate. We had family in town over the weekend to celebrate Eve dumping that big jerk Wilms she used to run around with. Lots of barbeque and mayonnaise-laced salads on Saturday and all-you-can-eat bacon on Sunday. Thank goodness for sweatpants.

We were able to enjoy a little bit of privacy with our new fence. Privacy is fine and dandy, but what I really relish about the fence is just how well it dampers the kids' abilities to run for the hills. Though, they do try to escape when the ball "accidentally" goes over the fence. I'm starting to think their accidents are akin to the accidents that happen when I accidentally finish up all the bacon.

Real men don't eat quiche. Real girls don't hit balls without a tutu.


Is Dan the next Philip Rivers? He sure has a better chance of playing football as a one-eyed preschooler than most of Carolina's starting lineup.

Family members came bearing gifts. Eve loved the pink make-up, until she got hit in the face with the baseball bat and we couldn't tell where to ice it.


We moved our party down to the pool so the kids could wash their make-up off and skip baths for the night.

A very fun weekend was had. Everyone should get to have such a celebration, but 1 out of 5 children with cancer dies. Great odds when you're playing the lottery, lousy odds when your child is diagnosed with cancer. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Only 3% of every cancer research dollar in this country goes toward pediatric research. You can donate to CureSearch here, and all of your money will go toward helping the bald kids.
I feel incredibly fortunate that Eve is doing so well and got to go to preschool. Today was her first day. What has one finger, one thumb, and is totally hopped up to go to school? This girl:
Of course, it only took ten minutes to get her dressed. She was highly disappointed that I would not let her wear her baseball uniform to school. Eve needs a closet and computer system like Cher in Clueless.

Daniel gets to go to school MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, and FRIDAY mornings. I am trying not to sound so excited. But the child loves preschool, and who am I to deny him something he holds so dear? Here he is with his all-about-me poster, in which he picked up toys from the playroom and glued them to the paper. He's one of our more efficient models. Daniel, don't forget to clean up these toys before you make your poster! "I'm on it, Momma!"

So today marked the first time I have had a morning to myself. I dropped off Dan and Eve at preschool, came back home, and drank a pot of coffee on our back deck. I hear people ask all the time, "What are you going to do with yourself?" Seriously? You think I won't do this every morning I can?

Well, I got to enjoy the outside for almost an hour. Then I drove to Natalie's school and had lunch with her. I was still pretty full from breakfast, but I can always make room for food if there are family members/friends/Taco Bells involved.
The walk down the hall is filled with these hand prints on the walls. Where's Waldo? Nat's is the yellow one in the middle trying to figure out the Vulcan salute.
Everywhere I look, I am reminded of how many children are battling the beast. Two classrooms of kids are diagnosed with cancer every day. That's a lot of hand prints. Cuck fancer again.
I got to the cafeteria at 10:52 a.m., just in time for lunch. From 10:52 to 11:22, I was known as "Natalie's Mom." Hey, Natalie's mom! I had something up my nose before lunch! Hey, Natalie's mom! Did you hear that? Hey, Natalie's mom? Do you smell that? I did that!
Girl: Hey Natalie's mom, can you open up my chicken nuggets?Me: Sure.
Girl: My mom says I'm going to turn into a chicken nugget!Nat: Well, my mom says if you eat chicken nuggets every day, you're going to get fat.
[Christy exits, stage left, at 11:21 a.m.]