Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Poptabs and Cookies

Technically this picture was taken yesterday. However, it pertains to today's.



341/365

Yesterday, I was casually checking my email, and there was a notice. My Mom2Mom group was having their annual Cookie Exchange and it was that night. I'd totally flaked, AND they were going to go with my idea of making extras to take over to Riley, to the Ronald McDonald House. And well, who has been going there frequently? Um yeah, us, so I wanted to take them. Well, I couldn't very well go to a Cookie Exchange without any cookies. So I scrambled. I dug around, and thought, well, if I'm meant to go, I'll find something to whip up. We were without a car, Eric's was in the shop, and he had mine, so there was no going to the store. I found sugar, chocolate chips, and a half bag of mint M&Ms. So I improvised, using my M&M cookie recipe I subbed the chocolate chips instead and plopped one big minty one on top. Of course I had to sample the ugly ones, and they tasted good. OK! I hit the Cookie Exchange last night, and had a wonderful time.

And how generous was our group! I could barely get all of our donations to the car by myself!

So, today, we got extra Blessed. We took Chris to Dr. M at Riley, and she removed his suprapubic tube, and doesn't want to see us back until next year! From there we stopped off at the Ronald McDonald house to drop off our year's worth of poptabs and cookies.



It's funny. Eric and I spent a good chunk of time here, but Chris hasn't. Yet, I can't walk through these doors and not think of Chris. So he helps me; he helped us bring in the pop tabs, and dump our load into their giant bin. It doesn't look like much when we add our little bit, but every bit helps. Then Chris and I walked down the hall, and I showed him the kitchen where we ate when we had him, and I told him about other kids who play with the toys while thier siblings are sick, or parents that just want to watch some tv, or sleep in a nice room.

God, I'm so lucky. Blessed.

Is it weird that I'm so Thankful that I don't like that place? It's a jumble of emotions when I go to Riley: because I hate it, I hate that we need to be there, the smells bring fear and take my breath away because that's what I associate with them, but on the other hand, I love it, I love how kind and loving these people are, and how they help my boys and other kids like them. And I love that there are places like the Ronald McDonald House for folks that really need it, in more dire straights than we. And how Blessed I feel, overwhelmingly so, because I get to walk out of there with my baby. I get to show him how much help is given to others at this place. But most of all I'm Thankful I don't need to stay there.

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