Another week...

This past week has been low key in terms of activity.. BUT the conversations that Grier and I have had in the car dropping off Hayes at baseball or as he is winding down and about to fall asleep have surely made up for the lack of activity. If you know Grier at all you know he likes to chat... Especially if he feels comfortable with you. Even these conversations surprised me and trust me we do a lot of talking. This first conversation started off with questions..he actually announced that the had a question like he usually does.

Grier: mom, I have a question?
me: okay.. What is it?
Grier: Do I have cancer?
Me: (in my head.. Really do we have to have this conversation as I am driving?)
Me: YES
Grier: why did you say YES like that?
Me: like what?
Grier: ( he mocked my Yes)
Me: I didn't think I said it like that..
Grier: Am I a good cookie?
Me: yes.. A really good cookie!
He started singing The Lazy Song and that was the end of the conversation..

The second part.. Different day.. Almost the same questions..

Grier: mom, do I have cancer?
Me: yes, didn't we just talk about this?
Grier: what exactly is cancer?
Me: well, you have some cells in your body that are not healthy..
Grier: oh..
Me: it is called Neuroblastoma
Grier: oh.. Like the Go Grier Go magnet..
Me: yes..
Grier: mom, don't you think we should get new magnets because I really like soccer lot better than baseball now!
Me: no.. I think we are out of the magnet business!
Then he proceeded to ask me if so and so had cancer.. Going down a whole list of his friends from school.

Clearly he is processing this again.. He is seven going on 70! He knows he has cancer and that is why we go to the doctor a lot but that is so normal to him ...

The seven finalists... the winning cookie is the one sprinkled with powered sugar.. Million Dollar Short Bread by Jane Cole~

The end of our week shifted from questions to raising awareness for Cookies For Kids Cancer.. I have been very protective of Grier and don't do a lot of TV spots with him.. We had been approached by the Stomp Chomp, and Roll restaurant group to have a cookie recipe contest and the winner's cookie would be placed on the menu until Sept. 30th at their various restaurants. Our hope was to have Gretchen come be a judge for us, but she was not going to be able to. So, Grier was going to represent Cookies For Kids Cancer.. It always makes me a little nervous but lately he has been into this kind of stuff.
Today we had the 25 recipes narrowed down to a group of 7. We had 5 judges, including Grier. They all tasted each cookie and rated it on taste, creativity and appearance. Grier was sitting by Kathleen Purvis from the Charlotte Observer. She help him rate his cookies, from what he told me he was a tough judge.. He likes soft cookies because he has another loose tooth so his favorite was the Oreo pudding cookie. He informed me he does not peanut butter.. So that cookie must not have gotten a high number from him.. And he liked the cookie my mom made but it was Hard and hurt the his loose tooth.. And had almond in it! I almost could not stop laughing when he told me what he thought! I am so proud of him for doing this.. I had to ask to him a question... I asked him if he knew why we were doing these cookie events.. And he said so we call help the doctors find better medicine. Whew... I know It is a work in progress but I was excited to know that he know we are raising money for doctors helping kids fight cancer.

To read Kathleen Purvis's blog she wrote about the cookie contest... click here