One More Time

Deciding to shave my head (again) this month, (read about our June shave here) for childhood cancer research, wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. But it was pretty dang easy. Because it is September after all. And September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. And I did love my bald head. And my hair is getting kind of long. So I figured one last push to raise money for Childhood Cancer research is a solid focus for September. Any donation received this month and I will gladly shave my head again. Because hair grows back, but kids don't.

 

To donate to St. Baldrick's and help fund/find cures for childhood cancer please click HERE

 

 

 

 

The Way of the Lazy (Christmas Program, and Maybe More Shaving)

Holy shit I napped today. Straight smack dab in the middle of the day. Straight smack dab in the almost middle of the week. The three bigs were at school (hallelujah), and the baby was napping for more than 30 minutes (more and more hallelujah). So I started to knit. And think about what I should be doing besides knitting a scratchy yellow blanket-scarf-type-thing that will spend the rest of its days on a shelf in my closet.

So I was thinking, and knitting and thinking about how I was, according to me, supposed to be writing this month's blog post about a non-profit organization that could use some help. And naturally I had to lay down on the couch and close my eyes to think better.  But great geese it is September. And for the love of tempura paint and textbooks I'm tired. Like tired since 2003 tired. And so because September, and because I'm 2003 tired, I fell asleep.

And now I am here. At 11:00 PM, listening to my husband snore through the baby monitor, which incidentally has got to be one of the most annoying sounds in the Universe. Yet because my thoughts about blogging never made it very far today, and once I have one mid-day, almost mid-week nap, it's likely it'll happen again, I'm calling a truce with myself this month (and again) and taking the quick and easy way out. For now.

I have hope that in the next couple of weeks I'll find another organization to post about. Although in the spirit of my laziness, I may just try to talk said husband into reintroducing our St. Baldrick's campaign (read posts about that HERE and HERE). After all, September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and my hair is getting really long, so maybe...

Regardless. This amazing organization (which I wrote about HERE) came across my Facebook feed earlier today, with some very tangible Christmas Program needs. So I thought I would revisit and repost about the Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers again, with the hopes that some of you may take a peek at their Christmas Program needs and maybe make Christmas for one of the 1,700 recipients a little brighter this year. For a complete listing please click HERE

All the naps, all the thanks and all the thoughts of Christmas to you!

I Love Being Bald

On any one of the bazillion bad hair days I've endured in my lifetime, I’ve threatened to “shave it all off.” I’ve also almost always been a short hair/pixie cut kinda girl who reveled in being different and experimenting with my hair. I have never loved my hair, and I’ve always taken the “it will grow back” approach. I’ve been everything from a gorgeous plum color to a hideous blond. And I was secretly in love with my ever increasing natural highlights (most would refer to it as gray hair) while my hair was simultaneously sucking more energy and time out of my life than should be allowed. So when a link to a local St. Baldrick’s event popped up in my Facebook feed…I thought hell yes. Hell to the Y-E-S. And of course because my life’s mantra is most always “a day late and a dollar short” I quickly realized that we couldn’t feasibly join the local event…but we could become Virtual Shavee’s. Long story short, on June 6^th I created a fundraising page and off we went.

I will admit that there were a few good hair days when I thought “holy flark, what the fruit have I done?” I sometimes met the question “are you really going to shave your head?” with a loud and proud “damn straight!” Other times I answered the same question with a sheepish…”yup…but do ya think anyone will notice if we don’t?”

Like everything in life the three or so weeks leading up to Shave Day was the proverbial roller coaster ride. (By the way, have I told you about the mother-fricking hellcat ride the bigs and I went on at Hershey Park?) Regardless, part of the roller coaster ride included dealing with the kids’ reaction to the fact that their parents would soon be bald. I was most concerned with my oldest son, who has been dealing with some anxiety (read his story HERE). But I have to say that he proudly shaved off most of his father’s hair, and a good half of mine. That little boy took what was to him a very stressful situation and faced it head on, clippers in hand. I am so proud of him. I was also worried about my baby’s reaction, but let’s be honest; I didn’t shave off my boobs…so he never batted an eyelash at his Mom’s new hairdo.

Reaction to my bald head has been so positive. People seem to really like it. I am not stared at (although more than once when I’ve been in a women’s restroom, bent over the sink washing my hands, an unsuspecting lady comes through the door and does a double take…uncertain of whether or not she is in the right bathroom momentarily crossing her face). And in just over two weeks, two people have asked about my head. The first was our pediatrician who said “so tell me about your hair,” and I did. Since I was wearing my St. Baldrick’s t-shirt he said he suspected that’s why I was bald. The second was the woman who did Gillian’s nails before vacation. From two chairs away I heard the woman ask her “why is your Mom’s hair so short?” Gillian answered, “because she shaved it for a fundraiser.” And the lady said “well that is very nice of her” to which Gillian retorted…”well thank you for saying that.”

Admittedly I occasionally catch a tween boy staring, or a couple of teen girls giggling, and little kids sometimes look at me wide-eyed and a bit confused. But in all fairness, I stare at tween boys, giggle at teen girls, and look at little kids with wide-eyed confusion too.  (And for the sake of clarity…when I’m staring at tween boys it is not because I’m a pervert, it is because I’m thinking…how will you survive in this world with your pants hanging off your ass, or holy crud will you want to date my daughters, or shit…I’m raising one of these smelly freaks of nature!)

Thanks to friends, family and coworkers, we met, raised, met, and surpassed our fundraising goal (the total stands at $2295.00, but it will drive me crazy that we are at an odd number…so I’ll kick in the last $5.00 to get us to an even $2300.00). Shaving for St. Baldrick’s was amazing. I love my bald head. It makes me feel extra-badass. It reminds me that even the little people in this world can work to make a difference. It reminds my children that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, lengths and colors, and no matter how I look, I’m still their Mom. A Mom hoping to instill the importance of volunteerism and doing good for others in them. My bald head reminds me that while I may be having a shitty day, I CHOSE this bald head, while so many others, young and old, male and female, don’t have a choice. And for these reasons (and more) I wear my bald head proudly and IF I grow my hair back…I’ll be eager to shave it all off again.

Finally, given that it is mid-July, and the beginning of this month was spent on the road vacationing, I realize that I will not have time to post about another non-profit organization that needs your help. So I’ll just recap the organizations that we have helped thus far…and again, thank you from the tips of my toes, to the top of my bald head for your support.

March: Every Mother Counts (Link to original post HERE )

April: Pajama Program (Link to original post HERE )

May: The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers (Link to original post HERE )

June: St. Baldrick’s (Link to original post HERE )

Two For One

Weeks Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four/Fifty-Two

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014"

This week and last have proven to be incredibly busy, and bruisy, for the little man. Last week he took a tumble off of my bed smack dab in the middle of the night. Miraculously I'm not even sure if he woke up. And surprisingly I did wake up. He has been sleeping extra-shitty lately, and I'm extra tired because of it. Combine old age, sleep deprivation, and the end of school year cluster and I'm pretty much toast.

Needless to say, I missed week twenty-three's post. And to be honest...this is the best I got: half a selfie. Or I guess it's really half a him-selfie.

Intertwined with the lack of sleep, increased activity, and yes, old age, my husband and I are also raising money for St. Baldrick's. We're shaving our heads in about a week and a half, and while I am super excited, and pretty super proud, I'm also obsessed with checking our fundraising page....which coincidentally you can find HERE should you find yourself inclined to donate. Checking the fundraising page, and posting updates to Facebook and braving a tweet or two, seems to consume A LOT of my online/writing time. Hence...the blog has suffered. Add to all of this the fact that I really have nothing to say...it's been crickets around here.

 

Yet I am trying to force myself to sit down and write. Just because I committed to doing so, which brings me back to my boy. After months and months of yelling at the older kids to make sure the gate at the top of the stairs was closed, I left it open. And he fell down the stairs. And I aged 17.5 years. Holy hell. He is fine. I mean, I keep finding tiny bruises (his cheek, his back, his forearm, his fat rolls around his knee) that I attribute to his tumble, but overall he is just fine. Me...not so much.

 

When I asked my oldest daughter what she saw when it happened in order to try and better understand whether or not he came down feet first or head first, she said "Mom, all I saw was a flying ball of skin." We are lucky. He is lucky. I curse my bad luck all of the time...but when it matters. I am lucky.

 





I am joining Jodi and her 52 Project at Practising Simplicity  http://www.practisingsimplicity.com  

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