Those Who Shave Together, Stay Together....

For the past few months I have been sharing non-profit organizations encouraging you to perhaps donate or learn about some amazing organizations that could use all kinds of help.  And I am so thankful to those of you who have donated or learned more about the organizations I have shared. This month, I'm asking you to jump on board and donate to my husband and I as we prepare to shave our heads!!

My husband I are committed to fundraising for St. Baldrick’s for several reasons. While we have four very healthy children, we have seen our share of tragedy at the hands of cancer. We’ve also seen some very strong people whom we love very much battle the disease and survive. We realize that research is at the core of finding a cure for all types of cancer. Yet what is astonishing to us both is the lack of funding some types of cancer receive, including many childhood cancers. In an effort to help make a difference in the life of a child facing a cancer diagnosis, we fundraise. Kids' cancers are different from adult cancers and childhood cancer research is extremely underfunded. So we decided to do something about it by raising money for research with the hope of finding a cure. Now we need your help!

But let’s also be honest. We’re kinda lazy. We’re not the kind to run marathons, or participate in triathlons, or even walk really, in order to fundraise. In fact with four kids ten years old and under, we do much of our community service work behind a computer. We’re okay with that for now. There was a time when we were more actively involved in volunteering, but we are so actively involved in raising our kids and simply staying afloat that we find the extra time we have dedicated to sleep.

Community service, fundraising, volunteering and bringing light to issues that matter to us is important to Marc and I. And so it is with great pride, and a little bit of nervousness, we both dedicate the next 25 or so days to fundraising for St. Baldrick’s, culminating with a spectacular head shaving event on June 30th. Please join us in memory of Marc’s mother (pancreatic cancer) and my grandfather (liver cancer), and in honor of my father (prostate cancer), one of my best friends (cervical cancer), a lifetime family friend (breast cancer), my cousin (breast cancer) and many other family and friends, but most importantly the children faced with a cancer diagnosis today, tomorrow and all the days after until we find a cure. Through our fundraising and head shaving we will honor and remember those we have lost, as well as champion those who have survived. We will also honor three children from Maine who lost their battle with various childhood cancers.

Please consider a small (or really, really large) donation to help us reach our goal. We promise not to disappoint when it comes to pictures and videos when the time comes to shave it all off. Lets work together to make a difference…these kids deserve it! Every dollar makes a difference for the thousands of infants, children, teens, and young adults fighting childhood cancers.

 

VISIT OUR FUNDRAISING WEB PAGE HERE

 

 xoxo Martie and Marc
 

Night Life

During nights like last night, when I'm up every 20 minutes soothing, bouncing, burping, or nursing a very uncomfortable baby, I like to catch up on my laundry.

Usually I am at peace with the fact that I am up. This middle of the night work, these measuring doses of gas drops and Tylenol, this running to the garage to retrieve medicine from the diaper bag, stopping only to sop up water from a leaky dishwasher, is part of the job. And of course, between longing glances at the clock, diapers and pajamas are changed, and there is hope that at some point during the night the baby’s whimpering will cease, and even he and I will settle into a deep and comfortable sleep.

I’m so groovy with these nights that at first, when I quietly walk up to my husband’s side of the bed I only gently nudge him in the gut with my knee, just briefly interrupting his sleep. At first, I just want the snoring (think herd of large animals engaging in group flatulation) to stop so that I can think.  Or hear the TV. Or concentrate on Instagram. And in the beginning, say the first hour or so, I truly appreciate my husband groggily picking his head up off the pillow, as if to ask if I need his help or a break, and then laying it gently back down again without saying a word. I think he thinks I don’t see him. Initially I really don’t mind when he scowls at me through sleepy eyes, disgruntled because the hallway light is on, or, heaven forbid, I flushed the toilet. But in the spirit of honesty folks, it gets old. After three or four hours, it gets really old.

Thankfully great clarity comes to me during nights like last night. When I am up. And exhausted. And my husband is, well….not up or exhausted. I am able to plan my day; get a jump start on my list of things to do. I make a mental checklist and settle on laundry. Laundry is perfect.

Since the baby and I are in this together, we pad down the dark and quiet hallway. I survey the laundry room, assessing each pile and settle on towels. Filling the washer I make sure to use the hottest of the hot water settings. And I smile as I set the delay start, knowing that this is where the magic happens. Because the one thing that sleeping through the night will allow my husband to do, is roll out of bed when his alarm chimes, and go about his very predictable weekday routine.  Alarm. Pee. Shower. 5:30, 5:31, and 5:32. Monday through Friday.

Coincidentally I am loading my washer at 2:30 in the morning. And not coincidentally I am setting the washing machine to start in three beautiful hours. Thinking of our inadequate well filling the machine with lots of hot, hot water at just about the time my husband attempts to take a hot, hot shower will undoubtedly bring me a deep sense of peace. And make my four hours of sleep some of the best four hours of sleep I’ve had in a long time.

There wasn’t a whole lotta this going on last night…