Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month

It is hard to believe how long its been since I've seen this smiling face (Meme on the right in the black and gold). Its also hard to believe how much she missed, my wedding, the births of all her great grand kids, my cousins wedding. And the hardest to believe is that this picture was taken a mere month before she passed away.

Thats how Pancreatic Cancer is. One day you are doing great and then the next not so much.

Pancreatic Cancer is getting more press and more media attention due to the passing of Patrick Swayze -- but we can do more. Get involved. Wear purple. Share your story of a family member. Raise money.

The new campaign on PanCan.org is 'Know it. Fight it. End it.' Just a few facts for you to think about. Pancreatic Cancer is the 4th leading cause of Cancer death in the US and there are NO early detection tools. And less than 2% of the National Cancer Institute budget is allocated to Pancreatic Cancer. 4th leading cause...less than 2% of funding.

Know it. Fight it. End it.

I love you Meme! Miss you always.

Happy Howl-o-ween!

We hosted our first ever Halloween party and it was FUN! Thanks to everyone for coming despite the weather and coming in costume! We had everything from Harry Potter to Juno to Disco Fever to the Cat in the Hat. Apparently as host of a party, I'm a horrible picture taker...so I'm waiting on a few friends to forward their pictures to me....but for now here are the few I did manage to take.





































What happens at the party - stays at the party....unless you like posting pictures just to make the blog interesting.....




Of course a Todd party cant happen without a few bumps and bruises. Our kitchen sink died this week. Well the sprayer got stuck, so we bought a new sprayer and attached it -- only to find out 30 minutes before the party that we had a LEAK...so we had to turn off the water in the kitchen. Fun times I tell ya, fun times.

The day after.....

Costume making...take 2

So instead of spending $40 on a Bam Bam costume never to be worn again I decided to make Alex a costume. How hard can it be, right?

(Insert laughter here)

I dont know how to sew. AT ALL.

(more laughter, I get it)

So I buy some of the iron on hem and start at it. I even measured Alex, all the while thinking this isn't hard at all. His waist - 19 inches. Check. Made first costume at 20 inches. Someone should have told me to think about his chunky thighs!!!

Big fat fail!

Attempt two. Hey its wearable! It needs some adjusting w/ the strap, and I think I need one more button to keep the bottom shut (Scotty calls it a skirt, I call it a loincloth).

What do you think? I think -- it will never survive a wash, and not too shabby for about $6.00. The part that stinks...it took about 3 hours to make. UGGH!

Next year when I say, "I think Ill make Alex a costume" will someone redirect me to this post? Ummkay, thanks!

Black and Blue...and I'm not talking Panthers...

As I was getting up from my desk at work today I saw my cell phone was ringing and it was showing Alex's daycare. I picked it up as I began to walk out. It was the Assistant Director...she said, "Alex is ok...but he fell at the window and cut his eye. Its really close to his eye but we really think he is ok and not going to need stitches." Soooo...I get to daycare in about 10 minutes (thank GOD he is close to my work) and he is already running around and laughing. He is a tough kid. Needless to say -- it looks bad.

He fell by the window -- and its hard to describe but its not like the window sill juts out...he just hit PERFECT. He couldn't do it again if he tried. But he smacked good - and I'm still not sure how the cut happened. But I think I'm investing in some bumpers to put up on them just in case my clumsy kid happens to wander near them again.

So yeah...here are the pictures:

Sweet Boy

So today I walked into daycare with Alex in my arms (wearing the "I told you so" toboggan) and Ms. Georgina, his daycare teacher said, "I could write a book about Alex". I was thinking oh my gosh what did he do now? She then started telling me this story about how yesterday that DSS was in for the routine inspection and she sat down in a rocking chair to watch the teacher, and take a few notes.

Well the teacher said it was time for "circle time" and so all the kids went and got books so they could read and sat in a circle on the other side of the room. She said Alex kept looking back at the DSS worker and he finally got up, went and got her a book and took it to her.

Awwww....my little man didn't want her to feel left out. Makes me well up with pride.

Guess we are doing something right! He is growing up so fast, I cant believe he is almost 16 months! Where did time go??

Some long awaited pictures:

Just a few pictures

So after seeing these pictures Grannie Annie said, "Get that paci out his mouth". In all honesty he is not really a paci kid -- but these days he was. The race car shopping cart was past his dinner time and he was c-r-a-n-k-y and the easel one was when he would not take a nap because he was so excited about his new easel.

Thanks to Amber for the easel. It was in the scratch and dent section at Ikea for half price -- what a steal! Nothing was wrong with it!

He likes it, he really likes it!

HAHA! Yeah right. The coat is too big -- its going back for a smaller size, but he hates the toboggan. TOUGH! This is the first time ever I will pull the 'because I said so' card. He is wearing it -- BECAUSE I SAID SO!


We got all this a bit early, but we knew he needed a real winter coat this year because we will be in the Great Smokies for Christmas. So he needs something a bit warmer than what Charlotte normally requires -- and for the record its a 3 in 1 jacket so it can be used as a windbreaker, fleece, or full winter jacket. And yes, anytime he has on this jacket, in any of its three ways to wear it, he will be wearing the toboggan. Because I said so.