So Thankful
This weekend was the Walk for Wishes to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Our family has participated in this event every year but one. It was just too much to handle the summer after Maddie died so we sat that one out. Now the walk has become sort of therapeutic for me. It allows me to remember one of the best times that we ever had as a family with Maddie and tell our story to others. I miss her so much! The walk allows me to do something good for others in her memory. This year I set a goal to raise $5,000 as a team. That amount seemed crazy when I started but it gave me something to work toward. I spent the last 4 months bombarding my friends Facebook feeds with messages about Make-A-Wish. I basically became a beggar, and for that I apologize. I turned my friends and family into beggars, again I apologize. I went for months with little to no donations happening but a few weeks ago something amazing happened. Donations started to pour in. People I haven't spoken to outside of Facebook in years made donations. I even had donations from strangers and friends of friends. My team received donations from a friends I went to middle school with in another state. There were donations from a fellow cheerleader from high school, a coworker from a job I had in high school, college friends, family, and even Maddie's former teacher. I was overwhelmed at the generosity of people. We had people sign up to walk with us from Indiana and Ohio. One of our team members got her husband and two girls up extra early on a Saturday, drove an hour and fifteen minutes to Louisville, and was there to walk with us at 9:00AM. Did I mention that I'd never met her before? She used to work with Fred and was so inspired by Maddie that she felt like she had to help us. My best friend brought her family three hours south from Dayton, OH so that she could walk with us. My friends and family showed up in full force. My mom's cousin Troy even showed up out of the blue to support Team Madison Hope. My friends and family got up early, brought their kids out, and walked in the hot sun and I am inspired.
We weren't the biggest team there but we did raise 3rd highest dollar amount. We weren't a corporate sponsored team like the other two top fundraisers. We were an angel inspired team. Inspired by one amazing little girl that never spoke a word during her time on Earth but changed lives and hearts wherever she went. We raised over $5,000! We did it! You did it! I am humbled, honored and inspired by all the support we had. I honestly can't put into words how exactly I feel so I won't try. I'll simply end this blog post with a big THANK YOU even though that doesn't seem adequate enough.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Wake Up Call
It's summer time and the little Rosebushes still like to get up early. Sometimes they get up extra early and find amazing ways to wake me up. This was one of those days!
I was laying in my bed this morning presumably having sweet dreams. I felt a little tug on the covers and the bed shift with the weight of another human. In my sleepy haze I heard a tiny giggle and 2.5 seconds later a 28 pound bundle of crazy launched himself onto me and shouted "GOT YOU!" I glanced at the clock which read 4:34. I grumbled. What on the world has him up at this ungodly hour? I rolled over to look at him only to discover that the little spider monkey was COMPLETELY NAKED. No pajamas. No diaper. No anything! When he saw my face he smiled and said "I'm naked!" He stood up to get in a few good bounces on my bed in all his naked glory. I asked, "Why are you naked?" His simple response was "I peed."
Oh well that's a simple enough explanation. Hold on.... you peed?
What?
Where?
Oh for the love of Pete where did you pee?
Please don't let it be on my bed!
Sometimes when you say you peed you really mean you pooped.
Oh God please don't let it be poop. Not at 4:34 AM.
Suddenly my sleepy haze was gone and was replaced with mom panic. I sprang into action. Literally!
I first examined the naked little person bouncing on my bed. Whew, no sign of poop! Now I just need to go on a search and rescue mission for the missing clothes and di aper. I scanned my room and didn't see it so it must be in his room.
My sleepy feet hit the floor and down the hall I went. I didn't get far before my toe hit a puddle on the hardwood. I flipped on the hall light to find a trail from his room to mine.
I grabbed a towel from the bathroom and cleaned up the trail and continued to his room. Right there in the middle of his bed was a peepee filled diaper and a pile of wet pajamas.
I guess he didn't like the wet diaper or clothes so he decides to handle the situation in his own two year old way.
I cleaned everything up and quickly diapered and clothed my little nudist. Since his bed was wet I fixed his pillows the way he likes them and snuggled with him in my bed. I put on some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and back to sleep we both drifted.
Everyday is a new adventure in the Rosebush house. I just wish they happened during normal business hours.
Now I have to go wash some sheets....
It's summer time and the little Rosebushes still like to get up early. Sometimes they get up extra early and find amazing ways to wake me up. This was one of those days!
I was laying in my bed this morning presumably having sweet dreams. I felt a little tug on the covers and the bed shift with the weight of another human. In my sleepy haze I heard a tiny giggle and 2.5 seconds later a 28 pound bundle of crazy launched himself onto me and shouted "GOT YOU!" I glanced at the clock which read 4:34. I grumbled. What on the world has him up at this ungodly hour? I rolled over to look at him only to discover that the little spider monkey was COMPLETELY NAKED. No pajamas. No diaper. No anything! When he saw my face he smiled and said "I'm naked!" He stood up to get in a few good bounces on my bed in all his naked glory. I asked, "Why are you naked?" His simple response was "I peed."
Oh well that's a simple enough explanation. Hold on.... you peed?
What?
Where?
Oh for the love of Pete where did you pee?
Please don't let it be on my bed!
Sometimes when you say you peed you really mean you pooped.
Oh God please don't let it be poop. Not at 4:34 AM.
Suddenly my sleepy haze was gone and was replaced with mom panic. I sprang into action. Literally!
I first examined the naked little person bouncing on my bed. Whew, no sign of poop! Now I just need to go on a search and rescue mission for the missing clothes and di aper. I scanned my room and didn't see it so it must be in his room.
My sleepy feet hit the floor and down the hall I went. I didn't get far before my toe hit a puddle on the hardwood. I flipped on the hall light to find a trail from his room to mine.
I grabbed a towel from the bathroom and cleaned up the trail and continued to his room. Right there in the middle of his bed was a peepee filled diaper and a pile of wet pajamas.
I guess he didn't like the wet diaper or clothes so he decides to handle the situation in his own two year old way.
I cleaned everything up and quickly diapered and clothed my little nudist. Since his bed was wet I fixed his pillows the way he likes them and snuggled with him in my bed. I put on some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and back to sleep we both drifted.
Everyday is a new adventure in the Rosebush house. I just wish they happened during normal business hours.
Now I have to go wash some sheets....
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Burning Questions.
It's finally summertime and in the Rosebush growing business it's a really exciting time. The little Rosebushes thrive during summer. Now that Mr. FixIt has finally sorted out the pool situation the Rosebushes can stay thoroughly watered. A few days ago Emma and I were out by the pool and she was swimming. I refused to get in the pool because it is still pretty cold but I sat on the deck and watched her. As she was swimming she was pretending to be a mermaid. She swam in circles. She did belly flops and back flops. She floated around. She sang Little Mermaid songs. I enjoyed watching my little mermaid play now that she is getting big enough to swim on her own. As she was swimming along like Ariel she had an interesting question, that led to more questions and a very funny discussion.
E - "Mom, how do mermaids pee amd poop?"
Me - "Ummmmmm.... I'm not sure."
E- "They don't have a butt or a 'ba-china'. "
Me - "I know that."
E- "So do they pee through their tail?"
Me - "Em, I seriously have no clue. I've never given it any thought."
E - "Do you think Google would know?"
Me - "Doubt it. Mermaids aren't real you know. "
E - "Ummmmm, I don't know about that. 8 think you might be wrong. While we're on the subject of mermaids, how do they have babies?"
I started to worry where this conversation was going.
E - "I mean do they lay eggs like fish or do they get them out of their bellies like people? How would they get them out of their bellies anyway? "
Me - "Emma, honestly I DO NOT KNOW! I'm pretty sure mermaids are not real."
E - "Yes they are. I've SEEN Ariel at Disney World. I bet she could answer my questions."
It was clear to me that no matter what I said I was going to lose the argument. Clearly my daughter thinks I'm an idiot. Maybe she's right because I clearly don't know my mermaid anatomy or anything about their reproduction.
Me - "Perhaps she could Emma. Next time we go to Disney you can ask her."
E - " I will. So can we go to Disney soon? I really need this cleared up."
I love how this kids mind works. I feel like the whole thing was a ploy to ask about going to Disney World. It's really important that we answer these burning questions. So if you know anything about mermaid reproduction or urination please let me know.
It's finally summertime and in the Rosebush growing business it's a really exciting time. The little Rosebushes thrive during summer. Now that Mr. FixIt has finally sorted out the pool situation the Rosebushes can stay thoroughly watered. A few days ago Emma and I were out by the pool and she was swimming. I refused to get in the pool because it is still pretty cold but I sat on the deck and watched her. As she was swimming she was pretending to be a mermaid. She swam in circles. She did belly flops and back flops. She floated around. She sang Little Mermaid songs. I enjoyed watching my little mermaid play now that she is getting big enough to swim on her own. As she was swimming along like Ariel she had an interesting question, that led to more questions and a very funny discussion.
E - "Mom, how do mermaids pee amd poop?"
Me - "Ummmmmm.... I'm not sure."
E- "They don't have a butt or a 'ba-china'. "
Me - "I know that."
E- "So do they pee through their tail?"
Me - "Em, I seriously have no clue. I've never given it any thought."
E - "Do you think Google would know?"
Me - "Doubt it. Mermaids aren't real you know. "
E - "Ummmmm, I don't know about that. 8 think you might be wrong. While we're on the subject of mermaids, how do they have babies?"
I started to worry where this conversation was going.
E - "I mean do they lay eggs like fish or do they get them out of their bellies like people? How would they get them out of their bellies anyway? "
Me - "Emma, honestly I DO NOT KNOW! I'm pretty sure mermaids are not real."
E - "Yes they are. I've SEEN Ariel at Disney World. I bet she could answer my questions."
It was clear to me that no matter what I said I was going to lose the argument. Clearly my daughter thinks I'm an idiot. Maybe she's right because I clearly don't know my mermaid anatomy or anything about their reproduction.
Me - "Perhaps she could Emma. Next time we go to Disney you can ask her."
E - " I will. So can we go to Disney soon? I really need this cleared up."
I love how this kids mind works. I feel like the whole thing was a ploy to ask about going to Disney World. It's really important that we answer these burning questions. So if you know anything about mermaid reproduction or urination please let me know.
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