Thank you Aibileen

I finally saw The Help today and it was amazing...But what struck me most were the simple yet powerful words Aibileen said to Mae...

I can't imagine there is a child in the world who couldn't benefit from hearing these words...and that made me  evaluate how well I show my girls that they are important, and I think I do an ok job, but how easy is it to TELL them "You are kind, you smart and you are important" and in a world so obsessed with beauty, I want to validate them in ways that don't deal with physical beauty.  I think I might add "You are strong" the list...

So I repeated Aibileen's words to Avery tonight (using correct grammar of course), and I made her repeat them to me...then I had to explain what important meant...and then we watched a thrilling Hello Kitty movie... and 20 minutes later Avery took my face in her hands and said, "Mommy, I'm kind, I'm smart, I'm important, and I love you more"...and I melted...

So thank you Aibileen for giving me something important to share with my girls... If they grow up believing that they are kind, smart, important and strong, then Shane and I have succeeded...

According to Avery...

"Noodle" shirts are her favorite (also know as spaghetti straps)...

Earlier when we were riding bikes she told me she was using her abdominal muscles, but she prefers to call them her "McDonald muscles" because its funnier...

And lastly, when Shane asked her if she wanted to play soccer, she responded with: "not in a million years"

maybe she is my daughter after all...

Yes, Virginia, chemo curls are real...

and here's the proof...

Heather before chemo...

and Heather after chemo...

and I really thought people were exaggerating about this whole curly hair thing...clearly I was mistaken...

My first post-chemo PET scan came back clear today.  I certainly don't think about cancer returning on a daily basis, but somehow when you're awaiting PET scan results, it kind of consumes you!  Three months down, 4 years and 9 months to go...and then I'll be a Survivor in my mind...and we'll REALLY party!!

just routine...

Not much happening at the Bellanger house...just loving the cooler weather...

homework, friends, soccer and tumbling...that's our new routine, and I'm thankful for not missing one minute!

Morgan turned 8 in August and a few Dutchtown High School Cheerleaders were on hand to help her celebrate...

I am rearranging my scrapbook room again, and that means the creative juices are starting to flow again.  Got some cropping in yesterday, and I want to keep the streak alive...

We have Morgan's first soccer game this afternoon - loving that the weather is so nice...

Routine around here, and I LOVE routine for a change!!

Hope your routine is filled with a few laughs!

For a stormy weekend...

We are preparing for a wet Labor Day weekend, but I will remember this...

so just like last night, I will laugh as I watch my girls play in the rain...in bathing suits...

Hope you find something to laugh about this weekend.

Snack Lady...

So today I stepped into the world of School Volunteer...I have always wanted to get involved with the girls' school, but I always thought of a million reasons why I couldn't commit...Fast forward to the post-cancer world, and I realized my girls are only going to want me at school for a little longer...There will quickly come the day that my appearance on the school campus will cause a panic attack and the silent treatment...

So I signed up to be a Snack Sale Volunteer.  Once a month the parent's organization sells snacks at recess to raise money for the school...easy enough, right??

I could KICK myself for not doing this sooner!!  Those toothless smiling faces were the cutest, most precious things in the world!  I can't count how many times I heard, "It's Morgan and Avery's mom!!" followed by a sweet smile or an even sweeter sweaty hug!!

Don't take this as a signal that I'm making a career change though...it was great for three hours...but I know that those 20+ cute faces, wouldn't look as cute to me after 7 hours in the classroom...It takes a very special person to be a teacher and my hat is off to them!  Today was a great reminder to....

Hope you have a great weekend!

Cancer Sucks...

There is a woman that I have never met...but she "met" me through my blog...a mutual friend sent her to my blog when her brother was suffering from cancer...

She placed this sign on her Spanish Town float...

she did this, and remember we have never met...

I found out today that her brother Kevin died this morning.  So tonight I cry for her and her family...because Cancer Sucks...