Lauren's First Fundraiser

A while back, my daughter Lauren had an epiphany after the earthquake in Haiti. You may recall that post. Jim, Lauren and I transformed a portion of her play area to a studio so she could work on her jewelry. She wanted to raise money for the the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

This Saturday, Lauren held her first fundraiser. She entitled it Haiti, Kalie, and Me. Lauren raised money for Haiti and Kalie, a young girl in her school with cancer. We invited several of her girlfriends and I spoke to each Mom letting them know what Lauren's was working to accomplish. They all sent their daughters with a little bit of money in their pockets.

It was a lot of fun. The girls made jewelry to take home and each received a free bracelet Lauren had made for them. They ate pizza and cake, the usual kid party food :) Then Lauren opened her jewelry gallery. The girls enthusiastically perused and purchased 99% of Lauren's inventory. The guests really seemed to enjoy themselves and we all talked about what the money will do for Haiti and Kalie.

I think Lauren's first fundraiser was a huge success for a variety of reasons. She raised $50.83. That's my girl!

Thank you to all the guests and their Moms for helping Lauren realize her goal!!

Conversations with Lauren

"Mommy, I want to do Lots of Love." Lauren tells me this one day. "What's that my love?" "I want to give my hair to someone who needs it." Oh ~ Locks of Love. I wondered out loud how she knew about this organization. Lauren told me that Kristin V., our family friend, did it and now she would like to do it too. "Are you sure Lauren?" "Yes mommy, I'm sure." Ok then ~ we went to the website and printed off everything we needed. We are on our way...

A quick wash and condition...

Comb out...
It must be braided or in a pony tail...

It has to be at least 10.5" long. She made it!

OMG!!!!!! Snip, snip, snip........

There's my girl holding her donation ~ she and I are beaming!

Her cut and styling is complimented with a chocolate Tootsie pop...

and pink temporary highlights.

We finish our day with a manny and pedie.

Farewell sweet locks ~ find a home and give her TLC.


What is Locks of Love?

"Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers."

You've done a wonderful thing my love and I couldn't be more proud of you!

Conversation with Lauren

I have posted conversations with Lauren that leave me in awe before. This time is no different. You know I love art ~ can't live without it really. This is a painting I have in my home by Victor Klauss (represented by Art & Frame Source). I love it. When I look at at it, I see a women sitting, bent over perhaps out of exhaustion. Lauren said to me the other day, "Mommy, I don't see a women. I see a lion." She preceded to point the lion out to me. As soon as she literally pointed it out, I saw it too. Amazing! I love abstract art because people can see different things so each person's experience of it is their own. Lauren is a very confident, vocal little girl. It doesn't surprise me that she saw a lion. What does that say about me then when I see an exhausted women?? Hmmm??.....

What do you see?

Conversations with Lauren

This is my daughter, Lauren, and I. She's my heart. Tonight we were having a conversation about a little girl in her school that has a rare form of cancer. The school is rallying around her and the family. It is both sad and inspirational at the same time. Sad for the little girl and her family ~ lovely to see the school as a whole providing emotional and financial support.

We speak occasionally about cancer as we have quite a bit of it ourselves in my husband's family. Grandma Tootie, Jim's mom, died one month after we got married from kidney cancer. One month after that, I was pregnant. Not only that, Jim's sister became pregnant three weeks after me. What are the odds of that??!! I firmly believe Tootie decided in heaven that she wanted more of her descendants on earth so she whispered into God's ear and voila!

Our talk about the little girl in her school naturally brought us to speak about Grandma Tootie. Lauren said, "I miss her." Lauren never met Grandma Tootie of course. I told Lauren that Grandma Tootie is with her every day watching over her. Lauren said, "I know, she tells me she loves me. I hear her voice in my head. Sometimes she helps me in school. She'll tell me answers in my head." "That's wonderful," I said. Wow! I thought.

This is not the first time Lauren has told me about such things. My dad died in 1989. We speak about him too. One morning Lauren said to me, "Grampa Bogdan came to see me." "Really," I said. "Yup, he came to me last night. He was there and I saw him. I saw him and I sat up in bed and smiled at him and he smiled back. Then I went back to sleep." "How did you know it was Grampa Bogdan?" I asked. "I just knew," she said. Wow!

I don't show Lauren my astonishment when we have these conversations. I'm just happy that we have them... and happy that she has conversations with our parents no longer with us. It makes me feel like they are truly watching over her especially when Jim and I are not right by her side. They are by her side. Wow!