Duck Fest

DUCK FEST is supporting our fellow blog bud, Daffy. She is setting up the JD Scholarship Fund in honor of her sister, Wendy. JD is Daffy's 5 year old nephew who just lost his mother suddenly, last week. I have a 5 year-old. What the hell would he do without his mommy? It's not fair.

Right now, JD is too young to understand what is happening around him. I'd like to think that our efforts during DUCK FEST will one day give JD hope. That the generosity of strangers helped get him to college, and a community banded together for him and his family during a very difficult time.

DUCK FEST will begin on June 3rd. This day will be very difficult for Daffy and her family as it would have been Wendy's 36th birthday.

Donating to a good cause has never been more fun! Come back June 3rd and check out all the participating bloggers and their giveaways that will be listed!

What is DUCK FEST?
DUCK FEST is a blog party fundraising event to raise money for the JD Scholarship Fund. It runs June 3 - 8 right here in the blogosphere!


How does DUCK FEST work?By using the McLinky at the bottom of this page, you are able to visit a number of giveaways to raise money for the JD Scholarship Fund. If you find a giveaway you'd like to enter, beginning June 3, you can click on the donate button on that giveaway and donate money for entries. Each entry is $1.00. If you donate $10.00 you have 10 entries to spend however you want.   Please follow the PayPal directions for your donation (be sure to leave your blog url in notes for verification!) To enter, leave a comment for each $1.00 donation on the giveaways of your choice!  Except you know, you can leave the one on Cheapskate Mom's blog alone because my boys need that thing! Or you could win it and give it to my boys because you want to be my most favorite person in the whole world.
On June 9, each hosting blog will select their winners using random.org.


How can I participate?Do you have a skill or talent you'd like to showcase? Do you rub elbows with PR firms, have advertisers or sponsors that would support the cause? You are more than welcome to host a giveaway at your blog! Do you have product you'd like to donate, but don't have an outlet to run a giveaway? We're happy to host it for you! If you'd like to participate, send an email to me - That One Mom at thatonemom.onlyparentchronicles@gmail.com OR to Tamara at cheapskatemom.@live.com


What if I would just like to donate money and not worry about prizes?That is perfectly fine! Just click on the donate button in the side bar. All donations go directly to the JD Scholarship Fund!
In the meantime, grab a button and spread the word!! Word of mouth is key to making DUCK FEST a success!

<a href="http://proudtobecheap.blogspot.com/2010/05/birds-of-featherflock-together-duck.html"><img src="http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac13/CheapskateDesigns/duckfestbutton.png" /></a>

Pour Your Heart Out

If you need more info about Pour Your Heart Out, see THIS post.

But, really, it's anything that YOU consider pouring your heart out.

Be sure to check out some of the links- you will find some amazing stories out there.

Again, just a brief reminder that everyone linking is pouring their hearts out and we should all be respectful in our comments. ;)

 <a href="http://thingsicantsay-shell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac246/shellthings/pouryourheartout.jpg" /></a> *****
Just a little unrelated note from me before we get started: I know that I totally suck this week at getting around to everyone's blogs and returning follows. I'm usually much better. But, between my boys' field trip, preschool being an hour away due to our move, trying to unpack, my parents being in town- and coming in a day earlier than they promised, my SITS day, plus what you will read in this post- well, I'm behind. Don't give up on me! Give me a little time and I'll be back to all your blogs again and return all follows. Love you!

*****

As soon as that tiny little newborn is placed in our arms, we not only become parents, we become worriers. And it doesn't ever stop.


Is he eating enough?

Will he ever sleep through the night?

Is that cry really just from teething?

What's that funny rash?

Will my child be potty-trained in time for preschool? For kindergarten?

Is he eating too much?

Does he have friends?

Is that normal?


We worry and wonder and pray and hope that we are doing the best job that we can.  It's part of being a parent.


But, some parents have bigger things to worry about.


They have to wonder if their child is ever going to get better.


They wonder how long they will have their child with them.


They wonder if someone will find a way to cure their baby.


They run their fingers through their sleeping baby's hair and sob, wishing that they could take away what is making their baby so sick. So hurt. So fragile.


I don't know if there is a fear in this world that compares to the one that you experience when you learn that your child is sick. Really sick.


In case you are not familiar with Mission Monkey, you can read more HERE.


Take a look at this face and try to imagine the worries that are going through Michelle's heart:



Here's what I know: this could be any of our kids.


Any single one of us could have our worlds turned upside down in an instant. One check-up at the doctor's office, one diagnosis, and everything changes.


I want to tell you how angry I am that I even know how to spell "neuroblastoma." Because it's Jaden's disease and the one that took Ethan's little life recently. And now, it's Monkey's diagnosis, too.


Ian, over at The Daily Dose of Reality, is organizing a fundraiser to help this family: having a sick child is an emotional hell and a financial one. There have been lots of you who donated items for the raffle that is going to be held. I won't go into too many of the details here, because Ian has them for you today on his blog. Please check it out. Ian is the one who came up with Mission Monkey and is organizing this. I simply told him that I would do what I could to help. And since I have a big mouth, I'm using it to spread the word.


You can grab Monkey's new button- the code is over on my sidebar. If you click on that link, it will take you directly to Monkey's paypal page, where you can make a donation.


Now, I know that times are tough. They pretty much suck for my family right now, too.


But, we have to remember that there is strength in numbers. According to my little readers counter, I have about 800 readers....if everyone of you donates $1, that's $800...think if all of you donated $10. Together, we'd donate $8,000. And that's not including all the other bloggers that are doing their part to spread the word to help Monkey's family.


So, think about it: every little bit helps. Think if it were your child because it so easily could be.


Please keep Monkey in your prayers and go visit Ian to see how the raffle is going to work.

You Love Me When I'm Random, Right?

Mission: Monkey

Mission Monkey

A while back, I came across a blog with pictures of three of the most beautiful little girls.   All decked out in tutus.   And my all-boy-mama heart ached a little at the beauty of those girls.   Mama's Pixie Dreams: my heart fluttered at those gorgeous little pixie girls. Every single time I went to that blog, I thought oh, to have a girl.   And I got to know their sweet mama a little through blogging and found out that she is a total sweetheart.   And then, one day, out of the blue...they found out that their youngest has neuroblastoma.   It was like one day, she was writing about the normal happenings in their lives, then she found a lump in her little girl's neck, and then she found that her little Monkey has neuroblastoma.   That quickly, to go from Mama's Pixie Dreams, to Mama's Worst Nightmare.   A lot of you are probably familiar with this little face, thanks to all of Supahmommy's efforts to help his family.  This is the same disease that Jaden has. The same one that took his friend Ethan's life recently.   And now this little one has it. 

 Look at that face. That tiny 16 month-old precious little girl now has to fight for her life.   And, here's the thing: this could be any of our kids.   We can be going along with our everyday lives, with our small worries and struggles, but have healthy kids.   And then, just like that, we could find out that one of our kids is sick.   So sick that we don't know what is going to happen.  Think if it was your child.   It makes me ill to think that. I want to grab my kids and hold them tight and cry my eyes out...especially when I know that that isn't enough to keep them safe from something like that happening to them.   Are you ready to help?

First of all, pray for Monkey. Pray for her family. Pray for strength, pray for healing, pray for her doctors, just pray.

Next, go follow Mama's Pixie Dreams. That link will take you right to the post about Monkey's diagnosis.  Show your support in numbers. Look, I totally suck at knowing what to say in these situations. There really aren't right words to say, anyway. Just follow and tell her you are keeping them in your thoughts and prayers.

Now, Ian, at The Daily Dose of Reality is organizing a fundraiser to help this family. Because as if this isn't enough of an emotional nightmare for this family, it will also be a financial nightmare.

Look for his post next Wednesday, explaining exactly how donations and a raffle are going to work. You can follow him while you're at it, to keep updated on what is going on.  

But, for now: can you help?

Do you have something that you can donate?

Maybe you can work your magic on a company and get a big ticket item.

Or maybe you are a company who can donate. Make a big donation and I'll give you ad space on my blog, blog about how fabulous you are, tweet about, etc. And there are other blogs that would do the same thing for you.

I'm praying like crazy that my Cub actually wins the Baby Contest because I will use some of his prizes to help out.

But, it doesn't have to be something big.

Do you have an etsy shop? Can you make something?

Do you have a blog? Can you donate a guest spot on it? Ad space on the side of your blog?

Do you do blog design? Can you make a button?

Anything at all would be helpful.

Email Ian at thedailydoseofreality@gmail.com to let him know what you can help with.



He will also have a paypal account set up by Wednesday so that you can donate directly to the Pixie family.

You can also grab Monkey's button at Ian's blog or Big Mama Cass's, who created the button.

Let's show our support.

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Will the real Princess please stand up? Please stand up?

Wishing one of my favorite bloggyfriends in the blogosphere a very happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Princess!

Go show her some birthday love!

Blogfia Support for Ethan

I shut down a lot when bad things happen.

I know that it appears to people who don’t know me that I don’t care. Because something horrible will happen to someone and there I am, just bopping along like nothing has changed.

But, here’s the thing: I DO care. I AM affected. So much so that I can’t really react or I would turn into a big inconsolable incoherent blubbering mess.

 

Yesterday morning, little Ethan Loney, a two year-old, lost his battle to cancer and passed away.

A two year-old.

I fully believe that he is in Heaven right now. He’s beyond all his pain and is happily playing away, able to do things there that his body wouldn’t allow him to do here on earth.

But, I can’t rejoice that he’s in Heaven.

 

I can’t.

Because, damnit, he should be with his family, playing and laughing and doing all that little boys do.

When things like this happen, I want to yell at God, not give Him thanks.

 

This might make you cringe and wonder how I can admit this outloud.

But, here’s the thing: God already knows this about me. It’s not a secret to Him. He knows my heart.

 

He knows that I question why such things happen and that I don’t say that these things happen for a reason.

Instead, I say that these things are heartbreaking and that I don’t understand why they have to happen and why God couldn’t work a miracle and save Ethan.

 

And I pray for strength for Ethan’s family.

Strength that I don’t have and it’s not even my child.

Strength because I don’t know how I’d ever make it through something like that.

Strength because they have to keep on going on without him somehow.

 

I read a blog from a mom who had lost her son and her strength amazes me. Though she would tell you that her strength comes from God. I pray for strength like that for the Loney family. Yes, I'm going to ask that you do read that link. You won't regret it, though you will need tissues.

Supahmommy is putting together something for Ethan’s family: please release a single white balloon in memory of this little boy this week, take a picture, and email it to supahmommy @ gmail.com

 

My oldest wanted to write a message to Ethan on the balloon: “Your family loves you.”

Go HERE for more information about Ethan.

And keep praying forJaden to fight, fight, fight.