A date with Santa to RMH

Today was by far the best medicine Ive taken - a trip to Ronald McDonald House with Santa, elves (Kyrsti and Kali), Nicki, Meagan and Steve in tow.

Gord has played Santa a number of times now, so when RMH invited us to take the opportunity we jumped! I knew Gord would be the best Santa for this particular visit as he is quite comfortable (and compassionate) with sick children.

8 years ago, Shirley Potter donated a professional Santa Suit for the use of our support group, and HM. Santa comes to life yearly, primarily used for children who cannot go to the mall to see him.

Today was extra special.

Santa made an announcement at the house enticing the children to come on down! As he rang his bells and set off for the Christmas room, a little girl in pink pyjamas charged down the hall and into the foyer squealing with excitement waiting for a hug and a visit from Saint Nick.

Of all of the children that visited with Santa, this spirited 4 year old was the one child who did not display a certainty of shyness (except for the RMH elf who really wanted a tiffany ring...).

Recalling Miss Kali during those difficult hospital years, it did not have to be explained to us why the kids were tentative around Santa. Nevertheless, they were still delighted to see him and most of them agreeable to sit on his lap.

The youngest was a baby just weeks old, the oldest members being the staff (who are incredibly warm I might add).

The most touching moment (which caused Santas glasses to fog) was the little girl who asked for a toy for her sister. When Santa asked how old her sister was, a quiet reply came from a family friend. The little girl's sister (all of 2) had passed away yesterday. She was in heaven and needed a toy for Christmas.

Being behind the lens of my camera, I missed the moment but somehow felt grateful for the shelter as I dont feel (in my current emotional state) that I would have handled that professionally. As for Gordon and helper Elf (Kyrsti), the moment hit hard but past exposure enabled them to maintain composure for the other kids.

After Santa passed out packages to the kids, I went upstairs with him and helped him get out of his pants. 4 years of separation, I am still undressing this man ....

I am ok with that.... all for a good cause and the kids really enjoyed watching their dad come to life as we struggled with taming the beard so it would stay out of the nostrils, keeping the pants ON (integrity lacking in elastic) and belt not latching (so we used paperclips).

After we peeled Santa off of Gord, we all enjoyed freshly baked cinnamon buns and Christmas baking before another tour of the house was offered to us.

We saw the magic room in completion (this is a beautifully decorated room where kids can pick out a gift for their arrival, X-mas, last treatment and birthday).

To me, the whole experience there was magic, and when I look back to my 2010 Christmas I will think of today.

My First Week

Well, I have survived my first week as "the new Hair Massacure girl" and so far I love it! Nicki is great, the computer fairy left me a present, and my incorrect email address has been fixed. All good.

I am looking forward to HM this year. My son pinked and shaved last year and it was a great experience. Now he's asking me if I'm going to pink my hair or not... I haven't decided. I have learned that women can be quite vain about their hair - I didn't think I was one of them, but now I'm not so sure. We'll see :)

Anyway, as Tammy has indicated, we are taking some time off to spend with our families. I am very much looking forward to the joys of the season, food and fun, oh - and finding out what on earth is in that really funny-wrapped present I found under the tree tonight!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Look out, because January is coming!! And Nicki - I can handle it - dump it on me girl!

Brandi (posted by nicki)

It's that time of the year...

Well everyone… It’s Christmas!!! And I hope you’re all ready for it even though I’m not. At all.

At the office, people are disappearing as they take their time off, I’ve left my cardboard tree at home (due to not finding it until yesterday), and my bulletin board is getting more crowded with every Christmas card I put up. I am a bit of a Grinch – not saying that I don’t enjoy the season, just that I never feel ready for it. I dislike that I’ve run out of time, and I still have four more gifts to buy. And this on the year that I wasn’t buying gifts...

This year I will not be lamenting on how many paper cuts I’m getting due to stuffing pledge packs all season, or washing my hair with body soap, and needing to shampoo it over again – although that did happen this morning... But this year, I will be trying to relax and spend time with friends and family before I “pull a nicki” and disappear for a bit.

I want to wish you all the very merry-ist Christmas and a fabulous New Years. If you’re like me, you should all start thinking up new years resolutions that fall between “sacrifice” – like chocolate and “not too much work” – like chocolate and peanut butter (I’m allergic to peanut butter). This year I plan to not fall out of contact with friends, send more postcards and handwritten letters, and not eat AS MUCH chocolate (this does NOT include peppermint hot chocolates from Starbucks!)

I will also not give too much work to Brandi. But I don’t expect this one to last... much like that year (or two) that I wanted to go to the gym regularly. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

nicki

More Pre- Christmas

Thought I'd throw in a tidbit before my visit with "Santa" to Ronald McDonald House this week.

I am most honored to share this... my friend Carol (fellow cancer mom and driving force of Small and Mighty fundraising event) is taking me to her Naturopath on Thursday.

For years I have been counselling others (both professionally and casually) on achieving their potential towards health and balance, meanwhile I am chasing my own tail like Odie until the day arrived when Odie hit a wall.

It is always easier to help someone else see their issues while we stand outside their bubble - not so easy from the inside.

This is why I have amazing friends, kids, and co-workers observing, advising, checking in, and offering. For that I am blessed.

As I reflect, with this opportunity at home (which has got to be THE most inopportune time I must add), I have also been able to take Christmas in for the first time in many years.

Typically, Christmas, in past years, just got in the way due to it's timing - and I had not other choice than to blur past in order to stay on track for the progress of event. Christmas became very inconvenient and stressful, Tammy became a grinch.

My kids, Gord and Nicki have all helped me realize that this "Family run event" must be true to its nature, and Christmas is all about family, so we are all shutting down for the holidays (including Nicki and Brandi).

I now have time to make tourtier with my gramma (a family tradition), shortbread cookies (but for next year - not at the same time), drink really cheap sweet wine, look at Christmas lights around town, remember to plug mine in, admire trees in windows, pick mine up (moron dogs knock down when outside bunny visits), chase Bert (ugly dog) around house retrieving chewed up Kali Bear tree topper, find Bear nose, glue Bears nose on, break into "Glee" with carols until Mandy disappears into room, and watch Elf and Grinch at least 2 times.

Kali will wrap all of the the gifts cause her mother is a cotton headed ninny muggin, Kyrsti will NOT bake anymore cookies (she can stick to things shes good at), and I will eventually learn not cook meat and cookies at the same time.

I am still trying to get these medications figured out - not too successful (hence the Naturopath).

Last night left a karate Christmas party early with Catherine Hepburn impressions. I was glad that Gord had accompanied us, drove, and stayed with me until the tremors faded. I hadn't blinked in a few hours. I then learned that applying eye drops with tremors is wasteful and really quite painful.

The "stoned" part followed, thought it might be fun to text and FB.

"Creativity" sure flows when under the influence. Haha...

Good thing I am comfortable with my less than perfect side.

Be in touch...

Cheers!

Pre- Christmas

My last blog indicated that I am currently on stress leave.

A couple of weeks - this is my opportunity to "de-stress" before January hits ... most challenging right in the midst of the Christmas chaos.

My cousin Becky from Africa (my bestie in the fam) stays with me for a spell when she comes for her yearly visits.

Being a missionary, she certainly understands (better than anyone) how necessary it is to regroup. We thought a trip to Banff would be highly medicinal for both of us.

Driving though a blizzard lead us to sunny banff, where it was melting while freezing in Edmonton.

My cousin and I share the same humor, so thats pretty safe.... uh.... maybe not.

I got to say that the wrestling match at The Bay was a bit over the top. Once we start laughing, it becomes dangerous. 6 customers and a cashier observed 2 ladies in their 40's fighting over who should pay for a certain shirt (NOT her), resulting in a shove and a hip check into the till, moving the counter back an inch, people scattering with the lassoing of our scarves, and pinching of certain "areas" which still hurt even through wool. Domino effect in the line, as I fell... well you can guess whats next. She won, only because she's relentless and while laughing, all my effective karate moves are out the window.

It was a great release. I have a new shirt, a longer scarf, learned some new missionary stories (about Aids and HIV), shared some fantastic African coffee, a sore gut from laughing (and wrestling), and most of all - my memories.

God bless my cousin Becky.

I actually have some of my gifts purchased (which puts me way ahead of the previous years). Finding room in my house to store 1,500 units of Paul Mitchell Pink, 300 units of Kali Pink, merchandise, Kali Bears and pledge packages) is now a thing of the past.

Once strategically stacked, we would drape a LARGE tree shirt over and pluck our pink TREE on top (2006 - vaulted ceilings was a selling feature.)

Now we have storage (donated by Affordable Storage, a storage room at Make-A-Wish.

I found a place for my pink tree (on the floor this year), and gifts are accumulating as Kali wraps alll of them, it almost feels festively normal.

This has left me opportunity to shop a bit, but I finding this challenging as I walk around aimlessly (while my list sits on the kitchen table).

I stare at the Cookies By George stand, wipe the drool with my scarf and seek out a Starbucks instead. As they say, coffee allows us to do dumb things quicker.

Last night I brought the girls to Kingsway, but they lost me. Had I brought my prosthesis (phone) with me, I would not have dumped all of my change into a broken payphone, forcing me to beg the cashier at Smitties to us their phone.

I walked the entire parking lot and front lobby several times for 20 minutes feeling like a disoriented senior, and relating to what a lost child would feel like. I was kinda scared. Would have been easier I suppose, if my girls had tried to contain their amusement.

This got me thinking about my later years (with Alzheimer's in the family), who would look after me? They are telling me that they are gaining experience everyday, so it should be a walk in the park by then.

Christmas is in 6 days. Once though that, Massacure will be my renewed focus.

Our assistant Brandy, working with Nicki, is a big relief to allow me to take this time. Posters and Kali Bears for our McDonald's restaurants are in production, Kali Pink should be in the Save-On's and Sobeys next week, Red Deer Massacure coming together nicely (thanks to Darcy Ouelette), and media events being planned.

Taking Santa to RMH on Thursday - will update you then.

Cheers!

Speeding up means slowing down

I havent posted in a while. Being that this is a daily account of a family run event, I going to be forthright about the current status of HM.

I am currently on stress leave. I have some rather serious health issues.

It embarrasses me to admit this, but I am growing tired of the game face. I'm a high strung mom who worries too much and gravitates to pressure.

It has been pointed out to me that the way I manage this event is not to my personal advantage, highly unconventional, and therefore not the wisest plan of time or business management. It is too personal, and in all honesty knocks the wind out of my sails during peak season when adrenaline is over the top.

Anxiety is experienced in everything with HM (with me), even the good stuff, its all highly stimulating.

A shrewd businessman can create business and relationships and leave the "personal" out of it. This allows for extra energy to be utilized for personal use (if he/she chooses to). I'm not shrewd, I'm personal, feeling, sensitive... and exhausted.

If little Johnny was accidentally slighted and did not receive his bear, it's perceived as my fault.

If acknowledgements were forgotten or a commitment not communicated, my fault.

If I was misrepresented in some fashion and this lead to disappointment... still my fault.

We always strive for perfection, appeasing the masses, and reaching all destinations.

I am aware that perfection cannot exist when groups of people work together, the way I feel about that is reflects my stress levels. I want it to be perfectly synergistic.

Im gradually learning (deep down) that it cant.

I'm realizing that charity IS business, and not intended to be about personal reflections of who we are 24 -7.

Bottom line - its the exchange of money from one area (usually of abundance) to another of great need. I want to be a part of that transfer, I want to inspire those that can give to give, I want to educate others about growing issues that need support, and I dont want to get sick doing it.

So, I'm working on it....

Thank God, I was blessed with a sense of humor.

Next post will elaborate a bit about our new project assistant recently hired. Her name is Brandy and it is my hope that she can lighten the load off of myself and especially Nicki (who can taken on many extra duties) as I learn to sit quietly (or quieter) before all H breaks loose in January.

Photos from the Lab Tour