8 days--

Tonight we had Chinese at Grier's request.... we always get take out from the same place and always order the same thing.... I am sure Tai Pei knows my voice and is just polite when they ask what our order is?.... We did something different tonight.  We went and ate it there.. Almost had the same order but Hayes was not with us so we left some items off... As we finished dinner, Grier opened his fortune cookie and it said "PRAY FOR WHAT YOU WANT, BUT WORK FOR THE THINGS YOU NEED."--- I put it on the table like I always do but I kept looking at this one.... Then Grace opened mine and it said the same thing... I think I said "I bet they all say the same THING"-- but Grace proved me wrong by opening the other two we had... I don't even remember what they said... sorry!  As we cleaned up the table I decided to stick this fortune in my pocket... isn't it backwards??? Aren't you suppose to PRAY for what you NEED and work for what you WANT???  I have thought about it all night... while I was trying to think about how I was going to condense the last 8 days that I have not kept up with this BLOG!  To say that Lesa and I have been busy is a huge understatement.. but it is a good busy... The first 8 days has raised lots of money for Cookies For Kids Cancer... we have brought "joy" to some small businesses that stepped out of their comfort zone and decided they would partner with us, and we have raised awareness ... you know.. September IS Childhood Cancer Awareness Month ( I feel like we are the only ones in Charlotte that know it)~  We have had lots of surprises along the week too.... Moe's was our first night and we were floored by their generosity and willingness to continue to raise awareness every month for Cookies For Kids Cancer.  On the 2nd Day, I would get calls and people would tell me that The Buttercup parking lot was full.... and all the cars had GGG magnets on them... Day 3 was like a reunion.... Owen's Bagel and Deli was full of old and new friends....Day 4 at Kixx was fun... we ended up spending the whole day near and in the store... helping people shop for shoes... some as far away as NYC!  Lesa did an interview for South Charlotte Weekly about her birthday wish-- it will be on news stands on Friday.... Day 5 was at Bedford Falls.... Day 6 ... landed on a holiday but that did not stop the flow of people at Which Wich.  This restaurant has only been open for 7 weeks -- not only did they say yes to Lesa about donating a  % of their day but the owners decided to match the proceeds.... WOW... They really are good cookies!  Smoothie King kept everyone happy for a smoothie during the day and they were really busy after school got out... This shop has offered to help again....  Today was Day 8-- and T Reid  & Co. did not disappoint.... The "green house" is full of good cookies.....  There have been so many stories from the past 8 days... so many "good Cookies" following us from business to business... I am sure Lesa and I have entertained a few of you if you have seen us try to put the HUGE banner up--- If the wooden stakes make it 30 days it will be a miracle.... please pray for some rain... because the ground is hard as cement....!

Tomorrow we will be at Chick-Fil-A on Woodlawn from 4-7 ONLY.... please hold off on your tea cravings or quick kids meal until then... Also PLEASE tell whomever is taking your order that you are there for Cookies For Kids Cancer.  If you do those two things Cookies will get 15% of the proceeds of your order....

I can't forget to talk about the employees at Polka Dot Bake Shop that are VOLUNTEERING their time to bake those yummy Special Toffee Crunch Cookies...MacLean is leading the way of the baking and packaging team.... THANKS to everyone that has helped her after hours....  There is no way we could be selling over 300 bags of those cookies so far without their manpower and expertise!  I do have a favor... if you see Heath bars or Skor bars.... we need some... you would not believe how many they have used so far.. You can drop them off to me and I will get them to the bakers :)

So, as you can see we have been working for things we need.... we need a ton more awareness that SEPTEMBER IS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH... and we need a ton more money to fund research for better treatments.... these are not wants for me and the other families... they are needs.... I wish we did not have to work so hard to get this need for our children.... I would love to just be a MOM and I know a lot of other moms that would like to do the same..... but I am going to keep working hard to raise awareness and $$ for research -- and I am lucky to have some great people on our team...  We also have been voting like crazy and texting trying to win grants... there are so many now... Pepsi, Jimmie Johnson, and a new race car with the cookies for kids cancer logo---

AND before I end this BLOG... I wanted to say Grier is doing well.... he went to the doctor today to have his counts checked and they were great.... and I mean his ANC was 4000 and his platelets were 200 and WBC was 5.0-- even after a week of low dose chemo!!  He went to school both days this week and had a great time... he gets off the bus and does not stop.... playing outside until dinner and then goes back outside until bedtime.  Last night he woke up with some arm pain.... we are not sure what it was... but I did mention it at the doctor's office today.  Grier is so smart now.... that he got mad when I said his arm hurt last night... Hopefully it was as simple as his arm fell asleep while he was laying on it.... but the doctor checked it out and didn't make a huge deal of it--- she probably just noted in the chart that his mother is crazy!!! ha!!   I am still waiting on NYC to let me know what the next step is... I got an email from our doctor yesterday and it said that they were going to discuss Grier at the TEAM meeting tonight.   It also said this.... I love thinking about your cute little fellow, in his baseball uniform!-- it was a nice note because I was beginning to think that it is hard to be on the "radar" when you are in NC and not NYC.