Pootique

It happened again. Peyton turned on the charm and got free food. In fact, she’s gotten so good at it I may just put her on a street corner and let her start panhandling. We ran into La Septima, which is a fantabulous Cuban restaurant down the street from our house, and we’ve become regular customers because a) it’s inexpensive to eat and b)Peyton’s new craving is Cuban toast. So, Tuesday we popped in for her toast and my coffee fix and as I went to put her in the car I realized I still had my money in my hand. We hot-footed it back inside and I explained that I had forgotten to pay for our takeout.

“Peyton doesn’t pay for food here.”

Really!!! Well, that’s just spanky! How cool is that? I tried to pay for my coffee but they wouldn’t let me pay for that either. So I’m figuring between free meals at Cracker Barrel and free meals at La Septima, if we can just get Olive Garden to jump on the old Peyton bandwagon, I might never have to cook again.

I meant to mention that I brought up Peyton’s body hair issues. Or, my issues with Peyton’s excessive body hair. The doc did confirm that it was steroid driven and would most likely come out when she quit the treatment. Wheeew!

Last night I attended the board meeting for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. It was remarkable to meet this group of people. I got to meet members of the board, one of the founders, a bunch of the deep-pocketed (yaaahoooo!) donors and got to spend quality time with some of my favorite cancer families. It was a night of recognition for the work accomplished over the past year, the forward progress in research and a time to honor the kids and families for whom all these people dedicate so much time and effort. Plus the food was good! I left all the kids home with Pete and attended solo….that was great!

I updated the events page last night, upcoming fundraisers and events that are going to be benefiting different groups throughout Tampa. Check them out, come out and get involved! One of the big things that will happen in the spring is the Fashion Funds the Cure show for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. It’s held at Sak’s, and the girls facing cancer in our area are treated to a taste of the supermodel life. They get pampered, made up and over, get to wear some pretty spiffy duds and get escorted down the runway by an assortment of celebrities. Many of our friends have had the chance to be involved in the past years and it’s always fun to see the pictures and hear the stories. Peyton was too young to be involved in last year’s event, but they are all gung ho about her coming this year.

I really want you to think about Peyton’s current fashion trend. Picture your favorite outfit….maybe it’s the Easter dress with the rain boots…the sparkly leotard with the purple mask…the ballerina outfit with crocs…I just hope Saks is ready for Peyton to hit their runway.

Last night Dana Bertoch shared with me that Peyton had been talking to her about Hannah. It broke my heart to hear her say that Peyton said “Hannah’s still in the hospital. My mommy cries a lot.” I hate to think that my grief about Hannah has affected her so much, I’m going to definitely try to keep that more to myself and in private. I don’t want the kids to see me so sad, but I do want them to understand what a sad thing the loss of a friend is. Rachael told Peyton the other day that when you die you get to go to God so its ok to be sad, but it’s also cool. Her words. She gets it.

Something I added in the night last night because I couldn’t sleep for anything was a “Shop for a reason!” link. You should check it out. I was just thinking about the fundraisers, the businesses that support the search for a cure and thought that it would be an extra way to support them all. There’s a link to Sydlets, which is a selection of handmade jewelry made by Michelle and Sydney Sims to help cover the tremendous costs of treatment and travel for their family. There’s a link to Glamour Flops, Dana Bertoch’s new business of hand-beaded flip-flops (my friend Lori ordered hers in black and gold for Steeler’s colors….I guess I’ll have to get some blue and white ones for the Colts).

I’ve found this very cool site called CafePress. You can make your own designs and then they put them on everything from t-shirts to fridge magnets. I’ve got a few t-shirt designs for kids and adults up there. Anything that we sell will go into Peyton’s fund and there will be a special selection of shirts that have the www.fastercure.org logo, which is the Pediatric Cancer Foundation website and any sales of those shirts will go directly to them. Some of the shirts will be very serious, but knowing us, most of them will be inappropriately funny. If you want to add a shirt or see one you like and want it in a different format…such as you like the tshirt but want it in a coffee mug…just let me know, its quick and easy to do!

Peyton’s nickname has always been Pookah…don’t know why, but it just has been. So, the store name is Pootique! Pete gave me a very strange look when I told him, but I did it so I get to name it. There’s only a few things available now, but I’m looking forward to expanding the Pootique variety in the next few weeks.

Many prayers for Hannah, as she continues to hold on, but her time is so short. She was suffering to such a point that they’ve got her very heavily sedated now. We just continue to pray for a peaceful passing for her and for strength and comfort for her family.

f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
–Anissa