The Kassel Family Project Life 365

Newman the Cat has one rough life.  It is pretty hard to find *just* the right spot for sleeping in the sun.

Note to John:  Sometimes, Mom really DOES know best.  I’m aware that you will not understand that until you are probably 30 or older.  You didn’t want to take a nap today.  You fought it for over an hour.  I understand that you want to play, but you still need your afternoon nap.  The picture is proof…

Ben, the youngest at the kids’ daycare, turned 2 and his birthday party was at Empire Roller Rink this afternoon.  We had gone roller skating once before and Laura wouldn’t even consider putting on skates.  This time, she was looking forward to it and excited to go roller skating.  She did such a great job!  She had a blast and just wanted to skate, skate, skate!  I’m not sure who actually had more fun, though…Daddy or Laura?

John wouldn’t put on skates, but he still had a great time running around, “playing” the arcade games (no, I didn’t actually put money in them), and watching the other kids skate.  Of course, he was very excited about cake and ice cream and watching Ben open his presents.

It was a great party and I’m sure we’ll be going back now and then to just roller skate.  I didn’t put on roller skates this time as I was keeping an eye on John and taking a ton of pictures.  I’m sure Andy will be sore tomorrow after chasing Laura around the rink for two hours!

Grandma Marianne and Grandpa Ralph gave Laura and John gift cards to Toys R Us.  They also gave Andy and I $25, which we let the kids use tonight at Toys R Us.  Laura was in awe of all the Lalaloopsy items.  She settled on two playsets for her Mini Lalaloopsies and also ended up getting a stuffed purple flower.  Don’t ask me why on the flower, I don’t know.  LOL

John was in shock at all the cars in the Matchbox/Hot Wheels aisle.  He, of course, settled on a semi-truck that has a car carrier (how can you NOT love a truck that holds your cars?) and two more packages of cars.  One can never have enough of those apparently.

I spent part of the day listening to the Miracles for Kids Radiothon, which is a major fundraiser for the MU Women’s and Children’s Hospital.  Andy and I already donate $100 per month to the Children’s Miracle Network and the hospital.  We’ve been doing this for years.  BEFORE we even had kids.  When we started our donations, it was because we had several sets of friends with kids.  We hoped none of them would ever need the hospital, but if they did, maybe our small donation of $1200 a year would make a difference.  Then, we had kids and we have been blessed with not needing that hospital.  Yes, Laura went to the ER for a nasty bump on the head and John had tubes put in his ears, but we’ve never NEEDED the hospital.  Not in the way the families I heard about today and in past radiothons have needed the hospital.  The stories of Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, Cerebral Palsy, Accidents, and more all touch that part of my heart that brings tears to my eyes every time.  It reminds me that Andy and I are very blessed.  We have healthy kids.  Beautiful.  Healthy.  Kids.  I can’t even begin to say how thankful I am for that.  The children who are the centerpiece of the stories I heard today are miracles and their families are amazing.  If our small donation can help even one of them, then every penny of it is worth it.  The selfish side of me prays that we never need the Children’s Miracle Network any more than we already have needed it.  The giving side of me wishes I could give them every last dime of what I make every year.  Those sick children deserve life without illness.  They truly ARE miracles.