Ski Trip

We just got back from four days at Winter Park ski resort. It's been a long time since we've done consecutive days of skiing. We never could master the logistics of California skiing. My brother, Kirby, came out to snowboard with us. Unfortunately, he took a big fall after flipping over (scorpion style if you can picture it)...we spent a bit of time in the medical clinic watching the bodies line up. After an X-Ray found nothing broken and a prescription for pain, Kirby rested for a day and then hit the slopes with us for a few more days.

Ty spent four days in the ski resort daycare...we were a bit nervous about it, but they actually got him to nap a few days. We have no idea if they had to drug him, but we were happy and he seemed happy. And, he has been introduced to tator tots now thanks to daycare.

Enjoy a few pics on Flickr from the adventures!

A few pics of Ty reclining in the condo...he made himself a comfortable spot out of Kirby's luggage. He sat down, grabbed him milk and cookies and chilled for a while...a LONG while by Ty's standards.

Christmas 2008

Here are some pics from Christmas. We missed seeing my family in Louisiana this year, but it was also very nice to be in our house for Santa. Ty didn't get into the whole Santa concept, but certainly did get excited about ripping open presents. Videos will be posted later on that.

The theme was trains!

Driving at Whole Foods

Après ski coctail hour

Computing on the drive

12 Days of Christmas - It's Christmas Day-A LATE POST

Merry Christmas and now Happy New Year! Sorry this didn't get posted. I thought I had scheduled this to automatically post, but I goofed! To anyone who has been reading the 12 Days of Christmas posts, I promised to do a post of all of the other suggestions for donations and volunteering. I hope something has been helpful! Maybe I posted something new and interesting that you'd like to check out. Or, maybe it was a reminder to donate money before the end of the tax year. Or, maybe it inspired you to find or remember your own personal individual or group that might need your monetary or non-monetary support.

1. From Shannon Stanbro of 5280mod.com and 5280mod.blogspot.com:
"While no organization is perfect, I agree that the Red Cross does incredible work. (The Mile High Chapter is housed in an incredible piece of architecture to boot!)

My favorite Denver Metro assistance organization is Family Tree. "Since 1976, Family Tree has provided a broad range of services and shelter to families and youth of metro Denver to overcome child abuse, domestic violence and homelessness."

My family does a pre-holiday purge of outgrown/under-used clothes and toys to be donated to Family Tree's thrift store. Proceeds help fund their programs AND clients of Family Tree can shop there for free.

www.thefamilytree.org"

2. I just read the New York Times, Motherlode.com blog. She has a blog posting, "How Much to Give" about giving this holiday season with lots of suggestions about giving in non-monetary terms. I thought it was great!
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/the-give-list/

And here is the link to all 12 Days of Christmas Ideas!
12 Days of Christmas

12 Days of Christmas - Day Twelve Donation/Volunteer Ideas

I have more and more suggestions for you. I remember being asked to raise money for the March of Dimes in elementary school, but I didn't give them a thought until Ty was born. Ty was the only baby that wasn't a preemie in the NICU when we was born. One of my fellow NICU moms who had her baby at 25 weeks then began raising awareness for the March of Dimes and the work they do for pregnant moms and babies. So, I hope you will remember them, too.

Finally, I want to let you know about the Pediatric Stroke Foundation. As many of you know, Ty had a stroke right before he was born. He began having seizures the day he was born and we quickly learned via MRI that he had a stroke and had brain damage. He was only in the hospital for 2 weeks, but we began the nervous WAIT for developmental delays. I've posted quite a bit about it on the blog last year. Fortunately, Ty seems to be doing fine, although I wait nervously for problems constantly...although, it is less than last year.

Most people do not know that babies can have strokes in utero, right after birth, anytime in childhood, as adolescents and even young adults. We know that Ty doesn't have an underlying genetic issue or underlying cardiac issue that may have caused the stroke...And, very little is actually known about the causes of infant and childhood stroke. But, it's surprisingly common (maybe 1 in 3000 or 4000 children) and part of me feels obligated to at least make people aware of childhood stroke.

Successful bow making!

I think the bow for the top of the tree came out pretty good. I found some old ribbon in the basement...it was probably from a package that my mom sent last Christmas. So I didn't have to run to the store, I took the wire wrapper from my sliced bread. Because the wire wrapper was purple, I just wrapped some leftover narrow gold ribbon over it before I put it on the tree. It's only taken me 20 years to finally learn this from my mom!

First try with the bow

Here is my first try...I used the wrapper from the swiss chard and my narrow bows. It wasn't big enough for the top of the tree, but it seems fine on a package.

Bow Making

My mom has always made the perfect bows for Christmas gifts. She has tried to teach me several times, but I can never remember. So, I asked her to video herself and then post it on YouTube. We have success...I was able to make a few bows, with only a few problems. First, my ribbon wasn't wide enough. Second, I didn't have pipe cleaners, so I had to use the twist tie from the swiss chard I bought. So, I guess I'm going BACK to Hobby Lobby again tomorrow.



I'll post pictures of my bows from the top of the tree after I get some better ribbon!

12 Days of Christmas - Day Eleven Donation/Volunteer Ideas

A lot of my suggestions about donations are related to children. Well, that might be because I'm a mom now. I can't watch anything about a sick child on TV without crying now after becoming a mother. There are soooo many good organizations that are dedicated to helping families, but here are just a few suggestions.

1. Children's Hospitals in ANY city. My friend, Eileen, has been a big fundraiser for Children's Hospital in Oakland for years.

Every hospital has a foundation that accepts donations, so go google crazy. I'm pretty sure that every foundation has a contact that can tell you what they may need in addition to money, like toys or books, too.

2. Everyone knows about St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, but I still have to mention it. They don't turn anyone away for lack of insurance.

3. Whenever a child needs to be in the hospital for an extended time, the family needs to be there, also. But, most children's hospitals aren't conveniently located right down the street from their home (like we were for Ty). There are many organizations that step in to house families so they can be nearby their children. Everyone knows about Ronald McDonald house, right? Well, drop a buck in that "container" at the McDonald's drive-through the next time you get a coke or a Big Mac. We met a couple who were staying at the Ronald McDonald House FREE while their twins were in the NICU.

Also, I worked with an independent organization in San Francisco, Koret House/FamilyHouse. It's like a great family hotel for families of children staying at UCSF in San Francisco. I had the pleasure of working with them and they are FABULOUS and seriously care about every family that needs to stay with them. If you are in San Francisco and want to find an organization that is providing DIRECT care to families, please check out their donation and volunteer opportunities.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Ten Donation/Volunteer Ideas

The 10th Day of the 12 Days of Christmas is a shout out for my former boss, Dave. He used to participate in the San Francisco AIDS walk every year and would send out an email to raise funds for the event. I'm just spreading the word a bit more and listing a few AIDS related charities that are solid organizations.

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation - http://www.pedaids.org/ - I always remember this group because the namesake of this organization, Elizabeth Glaser, was the spouse of Paul Glaser, Detective Starsky of Starsky & Hutch. It's a pretty amazing organization that was instrumental in getting research about HIV/AIDS started for children.

Aids Walk - http://www.aidswalk.net/ - If you're the ambitious type, sign up for one of the walks. I did it a few years in San Francisco and got painfully claustrophobic in the crowd. (Personally, I'd rather run than be in a slow 6 mile stroll). But, I still welcome the emails from my friends' fund raising emails for these events!

Aids Lifecycle - http://www.aidslifecycle.org/ - I have a secret wish to do this ride. It is 545 mile bike ride from San Francisco to LA to raise money for AIDS treatment and education.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Nine Donation/Volunteer Ideas

Today is not really a suggestion for donations or volunteering. Rather, just a suggestion to solicit your favorite local watering holes, coffee shops, wine shops, etc. I've done my fair share of online shopping because it is so crazy convenient, but help keep your local tax dollars intact when you can. Also, I'm just getting to know my nearby local businesses and I really like them and want them to stay open.

Also, I'm trying to be a little looser with my tips these days. So, tip your favorite barista or waiter with gusto. Also, your hair stylist, massage therapist, etc. Those are the people that usually are self-employed and have crazy expensive health insurance and tips are always welcome!

12 Days of Christmas - Day Eight Donation/Volunteer Ideas

Day Eight of my 12 Days of Christmas is big brag of my friend, Anne. She is dedicated to raising funds and awareness of Juvenile Diabetes. Most news coverage of diabetes is focused on Type II diabetes, while Type I or Juvenile Diabetes gets very little funding dollars. So, now I'm going to throw a lot of information at you, so read and link carefully.

First, you can check out the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for loads of information on the overall organization.

Second, you must check out Anne's blog at annetics.blogspot.com. Anne documents her very daily struggles with her diabetes and living a normal life...oh, and she is running marathons and triathlons. That's how I met her! I almost tripped the first time I saw her test her blood sugar WHILE running in a marathon with me!

Now, Anne has taken her fund raising and awareness building up a huge notch. She became part of an awesome training team last year that is comprised completely of athletes with Type I diabetes. I don't mean people running 5K's on Sundays...they are running complete IronMan Triathlons. They have a great website at www.triabetes.org.

Triabetes/insulindependence qualified as a nonprofit earlier this year (501(c)3 to be exact). The goal of this project is to improve the lives of people with diabetes through exercise. A new group of ~15 athletes with type 1 diabetes will be competing in Ironman Arizona 2009 in an effort to spread awareness that living an active life with diabetes is possible. They are also organizing local groups where people can learn from each other. Also, a major push is to conduct research on how to make exercising with diabetes easier. A documentary was also filmed this past year, documenting the teams' training efforts and challenges. The documentary, which was filmed this year, also still needs financial support to reach a wide audience.

Check it all out!

12 Days of Christmas - Day Seven Donation/Volunteer Ideas

Today I'm suggesting an organization that I haven't thought about in a long time, but I really like and another that I am suddenly very attached to.

Planned Parenthood was my primary care physician for several years when I worked for a large company that did not cover any sort of contraception coverage. I liked that Planned Parenthood treats their patients on a sliding scale with cheap birth control. Planned Parenthood is the most non-judgmental, open and supportive organization. In many communities, Planned Parenthood is the only organization where an uninsured woman can get a much needed pap smear or contraception or just information, as they treat women with or without insurance coverage, or those that have crappy insurance. I know that many might consider their abortion services controversial or against your beliefs, but I always felt they did more to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Secondly, I've never been a big talk radio fan, but since moving to Denver I've been listening to NPR (National Public Radio) pretty constantly. So, I want to make a donation since they seem to be my primary news source these days. I am enjoying even more now that it isn't all about politics!

12 Days of Christmas - Day Six Donation/Volunteer Ideas

One of my best buddies, Jennifer Weller, is dedicated to helping MAWS, Marin Abused Women Services. MAWS has been helping women and families since 1977 address domestic violence in Marin County, CA. Domestic Violence affects every type of family within every socioeconomic level. We all know someone who has suffered in a violent home, even if we don't realize it.

Please check out MAWS...but, if you are in other areas of the country, please check out or at least be on the lookout for help needed at other groups addressing domestic violence.

Here are a few links for shelters/organizations that may be near you:

Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence

12 Days of Christmas - Day Five Donation/Volunteer Ideas

Day Five is dedicated to our friend, Mary Ellen Ruiz. She has been involved in fund raising and raising awareness for this organization for the last few years. I also know that pretty much all of us have someone in our family that has been affected by Alzheimer's. There has been a lot of great research. The Nun Studies were one of my favorite research topics in graduate school (here for your reading pleasure). And, while researchers have learned a lot, there is so much left unknown.

Check out the Alzheimer's Association and consider supporting them this year or maybe next year.

Neighborhood Christmas Party

We moved into a rather fun neighborhood. Several homeowners "host" big parties throughout the year, often closing off the street for a block party style deal. This past Friday, we went to the most "lit up" house to join over a hundred of our neighbors for chili, fire pits, hot chocolate with schnapps (yum) and even a horse drawn carriage. Ty was NOT keen to be up top with the driver, so he sat down lower with me. I couldn't get any pictures of him on the ride because he was clinging to me too tight. But, I tried to get pics with the Clydesdale after.

Ty's First Playtime in the Snow

Here are some pics of Ty's first time actually playing in the snow. It only took 15 minutes to get him bundled up in the gear. He didn't know exactly what to do, but he got the hang of shuffling through the snow with his boots. I just think the pics are funny and he looks like such a little boy now!





Also, a pic of his apres play snack.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Four Donation/Volunteer Ideas

For all of my San Francisco friends, I have an interesting non-profit that I'd like to tell you about. My good friend, Devora, is the Director of the wonderful group, BayKids. It is a really cool organization that helps children in various childrens' hospitals through filmmaking.

From their website:
"BayKids empowers children facing medical challenges to express themselves and find joy through the art of filmmaking."

Baykids works with children when they are staying in various hospitals for treatment of their illnesses. Through the school programs in each hospital, Baykids works with these kids, of all ages, create stories and films...sometimes about their illnesses and sometimes just to tell fun stories. I am about the least artistic and creative person, so I am so impressed by these children, the organization and the numerous volunteers that help bring these films to life.

If you're one of those creative San Franciso folk, check out Baykids. They are touching the lives of children in one of the most creative and skillful ways imaginable.

12 Days of Christmas - Day Three Donation/Volunteer Ideas

So many of my friends are loyal and tireless fund raisers for the various Breast Cancer organizations:

Avon Foundation for Breast Cancer - http://walk.avonfoundation.org

Susan G. Komen for the Cure - http://www.komen.org/

Breast Cancer Research Stamps - You can make a huge impact by simply buying your stamps supporting Breast Cancer Research!
http://www.curebreastcancer.org/cs/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=437&Itemid=44

Now, here is where you can make a huge impact without spending a dime if you don't have it. Join me in joining the ARMY of WOMEN...Dr. Susan Love, a breast cancer doctor and researcher has started to recruit 1 Million women to help with breast cancer research. EVERY WOMAN - with risk factors, no risk factors, every color, every age...they will be using this "army" of women to call up for research projects that are being launched. They only have about 250,000 women signed up now and they are trying to get 500,000 by the end of the year. While most research so far has been focused on breast cancer treatment, this effort is focused on preventing this disease. Come on ladies! www.armyofwomen.org

Sitting and playing

12 Days of Christmas - Day Two Donation Ideas

Here are my Day Two ideas for donation and volunteering this holiday season.
I have worked with two organizations in the past that help families in many different ways. They both sometimes get a bad rap because of their organizational "overhead", but they both do some fabulous things.

The United Way is a big umbrella organization that actually funds many smaller non-profits in everyone's communities. When their funding decreases, they are not able to distribute as many funds to organizations that are helping individual programs that help families. http://www.liveunited.org/

I worked with the Red Cross right after Hurricane Katrina in San Francisco. The volunteer offices were a bit chaotic, but everyone at that local office took their responsibility to help everyone so seriously. I happened to be at the office when an apartment in San Francisco burned down leaving 40 families homeless. Within hours of the fire, the local Red Cross was getting the families clothes and places to stay temporarily while everything sorted out. I was pretty impressed by the speed of the volunteers. I remember thinking that I hope I never need anything from the Red Cross, but I guess I knew I could call them if I needed. http://www.redcross.org/

Lastly, there are so many local organizations that also help families in crisis. My favorite group in San Francisco is Compass Family services. www.compass-sf.org
I really love this organization because they make it so easy to volunteer or donate at any level. I am most familiar with their program helping families in transition - moving from homelessness to apartments. I happened to be at their offices one afternoon that they were teaching kids how to make their own healthy snacks. Consider checking them out or an organization like that where you live. (I'm pretty sure that many churches, including Catholic Charities, offers many of these critical services, too).

12 Days of Christmas- Donation & Volunteer Ideas Day 1

In the spirit of Christmas, I am kicking off my own commemorative Twelve Days of Christmas. Given these really depressing economic times, I am going to post each day until Christmas of my ideas how to help out and to highlight my friends' various causes. Also, there are only a few more weeks to make charitable donations to be included in your 2008 tax returns, so I thought you might like some ideas.

If anyone reading has any other organizations you'd like to promote, just add a comment and I'll post those on Christmas Day.

Lastly, sorry to my Jewish Friends...consider this the 12 Days of Giving instead.

Day One Donation Ideas

Most organizations that provide services to families in crisis are hurting these holidays. Consider "adopting" a family or child for Christmas. There are different organizations in every city. Fortunately, my mother's group adopted a family of eight and I didn't have to organize the effort, but still got to shop for one of the family members. I think lots of churches do this, also.

Also, Food Banks in every city say they are very low on donations. One of my friends in San Francisco, Devora, is a long time supporter of the San Francisco Food Bank. My friend, Deidre, in Shreveport worked for the Food Bank for years. They both tell me that there are always a need for donations AND volunteers. Also, Food Bank inventories fall significantly after the holidays because many people don't donate after the first of the year. So, keep them in mind!

I haven't seen anyone here in Denver yet, but you can always drop a buck into the Salvation Army bucket.

Sad & Pathetic Christmas Pic with Santa

Well, here is the obligatory $32.00 Santa picture. He was so sad...the Santa was so great and seemed so REAL. There were no other kids there, so we played in the sled without Santa for a while. Ty was perfectly happy giving Santa fist bumps and high fives, but was not remotely interested in sitting on his lap or even letting Santa sit in the sleigh at the same time.

Playing with the singing dog, cat & cow toy

Playing with blocks

At the park trying to beat the snow

Cool pup at Cherry Creek

Ty's First Haircut