Ready For A Novel

Oh, let's, shall we?

I have an afternoon where I don't have to run somewhere or work, I’m not exhausted, and there is much to write. Sit back.

First order of business, answering the running question: "How are you doing?" Both Rachel and I have been alternating between completely sucking to not sucking quite so much with the rare good day here and there. We've been under a great deal of stress with the Romp n' Roll move to Mechanicsville, facing some serious financial challenges, and now actually thinking what we're going to do for Charlotte's Birthday (yep, July 9 is less than a month away). And somewhere in there Father’s Day looms which really hasn’t bothered me that much yet. (I’m always going to be a father and I feel pretty honored to have been Charlotte’s daddy. I don’t think I will let it get me down too much. At least no more than I already am.)

So we're not so good these days. As usual, we keep ourselves busy and the kids of Romp n' Roll really help us cope but at best we're treading water.

It's not all gloom and doom. Only mostly.

I'll start with the business. As most of you know, we've been in a really bad recession the last few years and we're into year three of owning Romp n' Roll. We signed the papers on Nov 30, 2007 and the experts tell us the recession started in December. So we've been pretty much hemorrhaging money ever since. We've been fortunate in that we had a cushion to hold us for a while, a banker and franchisor genuinely interested in keeping us afloat, members very dedicated to the Romp n’ Roll idea, and very supportive families.

Then Charlotte was diagnosed and a deep layer of “awful” was added to our lives; the 50,000 ton boulder if you will. We had to take time off away from the business to attend to Charlotte and, although our staff was amazing as always, we weren’t there and it didn’t help. The recession kept going and it seemed people were waiting to register for classes until they heard whether or not we were going to keep the store.

Once we made it very clear we were keeping it, things actually started to improve. We started the year 2010 with a very good first quarter and with the recession seeming to ease just a little, it looked like we were finally on the way to getting a handle on things.

Then we announced the move from Virginia Center Marketplace to Mechanicsville.

The faucet simply shut off. Our rent at VCM was very high and we couldn’t continue to pay that and have any hope of staying in business. We found the space at Stonewall Square and the owners bent over backwards to accommodate us. Rent is lower, over half of our customers are from this area, the parking lot is vastly superior for our needs…I mean, how could we refuse?

So we didn’t, but we had no idea it would put many people in a summer planning holding pattern. It also didn’t help that the build-out cost almost twice as much as everyone assured us it would. The second quarter is going to end up looking very bad on paper. When we look back on it in a year or so, if we last that long, we’ll shudder. In 5 years, we’ll laugh nervously.

We opened the new Mechanicsville store on May 17th and it is beautiful. Everyone who worked in the new store really did great jobs. But boy, did things start out very slow. All the predictions of people banging down the door and full classes just as soon as we opened to doors never materialized. We have our core of loyal fans but we weren’t getting the word out like we wanted to new families. Turns out we weren’t just imagining it. It seems the postcard campaign for which we paid a lot of money went astray. Way astray. Like Virginia Beach astray. They were supposed to go to nearby homes. At least they re-sent them out to the correct zip codes but not until we went two full weeks wondering why no one was responding to our postcards (which usually get at least SOME response).

So that brings us to recent events, most of which are actually very positive. We have recently set up a Romp n’ Roll To Go type program at the American Family Fitness right across the street where parents can drop off their children while they work out. Last Tuesday I went in as an experiment and we had 30 kids. 26 on Wednesday. Hopefully we can keep it growing. That will be a very welcome and urgently needed financial shot in the arm.

We’re also developing relationships with merchants all around the area including Firehouse Subs, Primo’s Pizza, Battlefield [Auto] Service Center, Batteries Plus, CiCi’s Pizza, Ruby’s Nails and Spa, and there are others pending. I can’t believe how open everyone out here is to partnering. Over at VCM, it was always like pulling teeth to even get people to talk to you. Chick-fil-a was an exception and will always be a Romp n’ Roll-Mechanicsville partner. (By the way, the new spicy chicken sandwich is very good!)

We have several local preschools and daycares taking advantage of Rompy’s Monday Funhouse for field trips.

I’ve recently been asked to bring an RnR2Go type program out to a private kids party in August which should be very fun.

Our Grand Opening/Open House (pt. 1) was yesterday. It was very well attended and there were many faces I had never seen before. There were Hanover County Firefighters there with their trucks, “Big” Rompy playing with his friends, and arts & crafts for everyone. We didn’t do quite as many registrations as we had hoped but the Birthday Bash bookings are really starting to improve. We have the second part of the Open House today from 3:30-6:00pm and I’ll bet there will be more of the same, including another appearance by “Big” Rompy.

Although Romp n’ Roll is still struggling financially, things do seem to be improving ever so slowly. We just need to survive the backside of this storm. The classes are still completely awesome and I have no qualms about flaunting our Best Of Richmond Awards from the last year. We have the best staff, the best customers, and the best “product” around, bar none. If you disagree, let me know so we can fix whatever you don’t like. That’s definitely one thing we have not compromised. There’s no use. We’re pretty sure that as the word gets out even more, we’ll be doing very well. Just gotta’ survive the short-term. That’s kind of become our mantra. We are thinking of seeking out a partner to help with the short-term issues. Anyone interested?

To try to improve our income stream, I’ve had to take a part-time job in the finance dept. of King’s Dominion. Basically, I count money. I’ve worked there before and it was one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had. The hours are flexible and convenient, I get work with very interesting (wacky?) people, and although it doesn’t pay a ton, it’s the best paying dept in the park. Oh, and Charlotte’s Devon is one of my bosses! Kinda’ cool. Mister Joe (Mattys), Devon’s dad, works in the park as well so there are good connections there.

One surreal thing is how money ceases to mean much when you’re staring at piles of it all night. One co-worker dropped a strapped wad of cash on the floor and I nonchalantly picked it up for her. It was a banded bunch of $100’s. It seemed so strange to me that I was holding $10,000 in cash in my hand like it was pack of gum or something.

We work in the evening, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning, and the other night, I had a “moment” because of my music. I was listening to my iPod on shuffle and “A New Star In Heaven” by Johnatha Brooke came on. I’m sitting there, counting money, and trying to keep it together. A little while later, some “CJ Babble” came on. That’s stuff I recorded when Charlotte would come into the radio station with me. I so glad I did that because those almost never fail to make me smile and this time in Cash Control was no exception. You’d think THAT would set me off but no. It kind of offset the Johnatha Brook tune.

This new job also helps make me very aware of the petty little things people complain about. I seem to still have very little patience with those who do. I want to say, “REALLY? THAT makes you mad? THAT’S what bothers you?!? Let me REALLY ruin your day…” Of course I very rarely do. I’m just going to do what I’m there for and try not to screw up too much if I can help it.

As far as CJSTUF goes, the Foundation is jammin’. (Would that our personal finances were going so well.) Most of you know we sent out the first ten checks to families and will be sending out the next batch in the fall. We keep having meetings, making decisions, planning events, and waiting for word from the IRS about our non-profit status. We have a ton of folks wanting to help us and there’s no shortage of ideas for FUN-raisers and such.

The biggest and most immediate thing is the Double Marathon Challenge. We haven’t heard yet from anyone about the U of Miami and VA Tech pledge war so it’s anyone’s guess as to what colors I’ll be wearing for the Richmond Marathon. Feel free to drop us a line and let us know any amounts you have at your fingertips. Don’t forget my overall goal is $10,000. On measly little wad of strapped $100s. Pledge forms are available on the website.

If you want to train with me, I’m going to be starting at 6:00am in front of the Ashland Library near Charlotte’s Brick on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I’ll be going small distances at first but growing as time goes by.

I started official training last Saturday and I’ve been doing pretty well I think. I’ve enlisted the help of a real trainer to help keep me on track. Her name is Rachel Pustilnik and she runs her own franchise of Stroller Strides here in Richmond. She has set me up with a running schedule and a place to get my feet/stride analyzed. I need to get over there eventually. Not sure when. I’m trying to get AISICS to sponsor me but that’s a fat chance kind of thing.

Dr. Anna has also agreed to be TEAM CJ’s official chiropractor. Now I need an official ice cream sponsor, Lexus, BMW, or Audi sponsor, and super nice men’s clothing store sponsor. Still looking for those. 

When I started training for real last Saturday, I felt pretty good. The weather was so perfect on Monday, I just had to run even though it wasn’t on my schedule, Tuesday was the same again and I almost let myself start thinking about life being somewhat “normal” again. I’ve been running pretty fast (for me) and with little difficulty. Wednesday and Thursday brought me back down to the “new normal.” Nothing new. Just the same old extreme stress coming back out to bite us in the ass. Thursday’s run was still pretty good though.

I’m taking a grant writing class at VCU at the moment and hopefully, I’ll be able to do that halfway well by the time our non-profit status comes through.

CJ's Butterfly Bush is growing like crazy in spite of the bugs trying to eat it, other plants trying to crowd it out, and the heat trying to bake it. Check it out on its own Facebook site.

We have had several friends in the cancer world either pass away recently or, on the flip side, finish treatment and start their own dealing of whatever “normal” means to them. Reese is doing great as are Abbie, Lizzie, and the mountain of other names on the list. Others are still mourning their loved ones. “Zachary Zoogle” passed away on June 10th, 2009 and his family was dealing with that anniversary. All the stories are making me sad at the moment. Or more accurately, making that constant ache come up to the surface more often. I can’t not see/hear them. I’m drawn to them in fact. I sometimes wonder if I’m somehow addicted to that feeling.

So that’s kind of how we are. I’d love it if we were a bit more stable. I’ll take what I can get and try to do better.

Action Items for the NETWORK

Time to reach out to the NETWORK for some action.

First of all, one of our Romp n' Roll employees, "Miss Samantha" is expecting in October and she has been nominated to win a Dream Baby Shower. We REALLY want her to win!!! Sooooo go to RichmondMom.com and vote for Samantha Dickenson by June 20th. She received three nominations so we're not the only ones who love her.

Second, the Tupperware sale (our Home Based Biz of the Month) is active. Go to the link on our website and place your order by June 24th. 40% of sales will go to CJSTUF. We are really close to finding at least one date for a home party so stay tuned for that if you're local.

Finally, Roger mentioned the inauguration of the Double Marathon Challenge in his last post. We have updated the website so you can go there to read more about all the ways you can get involved. There is a pledge form for those who want to start fundraising (remember: it's U. Miami vs. Virginia Tech). As much as I would love the sight of my husband running in a funny costume there is NO WAY that he will be allowed to wear HOKIE COLORS. If you have any interest in running any of the races (either of the marathons or the 1/2 marathon or 8K on the day of the Richmond race), you can use that as an opportunity to join TEAM CJ as well.

It's been a very busy week and an even busier weekend. My "weekend" consisted of the time between about 6 PM and now when I caught up on old episodes of GLEE. Other than that, I've pretty much been working since we returned from Colorado. Gotta gear up for our Grand Opening Open House at Romp n' Roll this coming weekend. Tell everyone you know!

Roger started his job at King's Dominion today. We'll see what kind of excitement that brings our way.

Here's to another week...

Mood Swings and The Double Marathon Challenge

Roger here,

Our trip to Colorado was really wonderful and I can't tell you how great it was to see my beautiful niece, Cerisa, walking down the aisle all grownup and stuff. She's a married woman now. Congrats C-Weed! It was an honor to sing at your wedding.

There were some very bittersweet parts, though for obvious reasons. CJ should have been there.

Coming back to Virginia was actually kind of tough on me for some reason and I'm still not completely over it. I've had quite a few "moments" the past few days and it's been harder than usual to think about Charlotte and what she had to go through. Tuesday was the worst day I've had in a long while. It all started when I was looking for a template of the CJSTUF letterhead and came across the letter I wrote to Disney. It was all downhill from there. I was loosing it at the drop of a hat and really feeling a distinct lack of self control. I had to sit in my car in front of Romp n' Roll for a few minutes and let it all out of my system before going in (probably feeling a little sorry for myself, I must confess).

The strange thing is, the moment I walked into Romp n' Roll, I started feeling better. Rachel was teaching my Babies! class because I had to come in late and it was so nice to see everyone laughing and playing. All the positive energy really bolstered me.

Another thing that doesn't help is that it popped into my head how we used to gauge Charlotte's pain level. The scale of 1-10 and the happy-to-sad face graph really didn't work for her but she would respond pretty accurately when we asked her if her pain level was "a little" (thumb and forefinger apart), "a lot" (hands spread several inches apart), or "alotalot" (hands spread wide apart). I so hate the fact that we had to use that system. Any system at all for that matter.

I've had a few more ups and downs since then but nothing like Tuesday. I'm sure it's just my every six month meltdown that comes about once a month or so now. I'm sure getting back into running will help that.

Hey I think I smell a segue!

Some of you may have heard about my "Double Marathon Challenge" (or "Double Marathon Madness" as Rachel calls it) where I will be running the Chicago Marathon in October and then the Richmond Marathon in November all to raise funds for CJSTUF. Well, training begins on Saturday! How would YOU like to be involved?

We'll need TEAM CJ members for spirit groups along the routes of both marathons and if anyone else wants to run in any of the races (there's also the McDonalds 1/2 Marathon, HCAVA 8K, and a Kids Fun Run in Richmond), let us know. Anyone raising $1,000 or more will get registration fees reimbursed!

I'm tweeking the pledge form to include a few extra choices. (More on that later but think "VT vs UM!")

It's a three day a week program that worked very well for me a couple of Richmond Marathons ago. Anyone is invited to come running with me. I will be running every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning bright and early Starting at 7am. Short runs to start off adding mileage as time goes by.

If anyone isn't part of an official training team, feel free to come out and mosey a while with me. I might be going slow but at least I'll be going.

I would love for some Richmonders to come with us up to Chicago and/or Chicagoans to come down to Richmond for the respective races. It'll be a heck of a party in both cities!

Did I mention my goal is $10,000? I really have no fear that we won't reach it.

Here's a great idea that I'm shamelessly stealing: PLEDGEWARS! I think most of you know that Rachel and I are both graduates of the University of Miami and when I'm not bleeding orange and blue for the Denver Broncos or green and yellow for the Packers, I'm mixing them and bleeding orange and green for the "U." For some strange reason, I have run into a certain amount of resistance from people in this part of the country; especially from those turkeys in Blacksburg. Well, to be fair, I want to give all you Virginia Tech fans the chance to show me who's boss, I'm throwing down the gauntlet. If VT fans raise more money than UM fans then during the Richmond Marathon, I will wear either a turkey outfit or neck-to-toe, including socks and underwear, Virginia Tech garb (I shudder at the thought!). The hat will be a pink or purple Charlotte hat no matter which side wins.

C'mon Canes! You must save me from this fate. We will be keeping a running tally going and we'll have to see what colors I wear on November 13th! Stay tuned.

Here's a GREAT memory we have of Charlotte: When we would say, "We've got some Canes over here," we taught Charlotte to say "Whoosh! Whoosh!" If that's not inspiration for you, I don't know what is.

Last but not least, Coco's Chocolate Dream Chocolatiers, the company letting us use "Chocolate Makes Everything Better," has begun making butterfly chocolates! I don't think I ever told her about the butterfly connection. Please go to her website and thank them or just say hi from a CJ fan. If anyone wants to do a "Chocolate Stand" as a FUN-raiser, let me know and we'll get it set up.

Thanks for letting me rant. I'll keep searching.

Home Again...almost...

Our whirlwind tour of Colorado was fantastic. We loved celebrating Cerisa and Patrick's nuptials. The wedding ceremony itself was Thursday but the celebration lasted all week long. There was an out-of-town family dinner at the Metropolitan (formerly JeffCo) airport on Wednesday night. Then the actual ceremony and reception on Thursday. THEN a hog roast picnic for friends and family on Friday and FINALLY a wind-down at Cerisa's parent's house (Roger's brother) with opening of wedding gifts and good ol' hanging out.

Here are some links to pics of the WEDDING the HOG ROAST and other miscellaneous pictures from the weekend. Roger took most of them but he even let me play with the camera a few times. The weather for all the events was perfect and any rain, storms, or other glitches were few and far between (see the pics of the HAIL STORM that we experienced yesterday).

In between the wedding events, we did some driving up in the mountains to Estes Park and Georgetown. In Georgetown, we met our friends the Goerolds. We had first met them in Houston and little Allie passed away earlier this year. We had a very nice visit with Lynne, Tom, and their other adorable (and VERY smart) daughter Sarah. It was good to not only visit but commiserate a little and do some emotional "checking-in" with one another. Turns out we're all kind of dealing with the grief in our own way but the similarities sure seem to outweigh the differences.

The emotions were up and down the entire trip (at least for me) but overall it was a very relaxing time and it was very good to see friends and family...especially for such a wonderful celebration. Roger and I had some good bonding time where we could focus on one another and our relationship (rather than work) for a change. That's always good because as much time as we spend with one another on a daily basis, we often need that opportunity to reconnect.

So this morning we said our final goodbyes to family and headed to the airport. The flight into Atlanta was kind bumpy due to the weather. We had a good 3 hour layover until our Richmond flight. Then as they were preparing to pre-board, they asked for volunteers to bump to the next morning's flight in exchange for compensation. Roger and I have done this before so given that we didn't NEED to be back for anything on Monday, we kind of jumped at the chance. They put us on the list and told us they would let us know. The boarding process began and the time ticked away. They didn't call our names to board. Then, just as we were sure we would be staying over in Atlanta, they called us to board the flight. We ran down the jetway, settled into our seats, put on our seatbelts and...wait....what was that? The gate agent came back and said they needed us to voluntarily bump after all. Sooooo we disembarked and headed BACK up the jetway. PSYCH! There were four of us in total that were bumped from the flight. We all made small talk as we received our hotel and meal vouchers plus (wait for it) TWO round trip tickets EACH to anywhere Air Tran flies good for the next year. So who wants to be my best friend and take a trip to the Bahamas with me?

We are currently in an Executive Suite at the Westin hotel for a few hours, hopefully getting some rest before we head back to the airport for the early morning Richmond flight. The room is very nice, at least, so that's a plus!

Now some business to attend to:

Our next official CJSTUF fundraiser is in progress. Dot Heffron and Jody Harmon, local Tupperware representatives, are our Home Based Business for June. Supporting CJSTUF is easy. Go to our website for a link to the online fundraising page. You can order from anywhere in the country. Sales must be in by June 23rd. Please share the link with friends and family. I think Dot and Jody may be organizing some local parties as well. If you are interested in hosting a local party to benefit CJSTUF during the month of June, email me and I will forward your information to them.

With that, I will sign off from Atlanta. Our next post should be from Richmond....

On the road again

This afternoon, Roger and I are headed to Denver for a much needed (and to toot our horn I'll say much deserved) few days away. His niece Cerissa is getting married on Thursday and we are very excited. I am sure it will be quite the celebration.

The move is completed. Romp n' Roll-Mechanicsville is OPEN for business and let's all exhale... There are still a few polishing touches to do but now the main thing is to just fill the place with kids. We have had overwhelming positive reactions from the Mechanicsville community as well as from our current customers so we are excited by that. Summer session starts in three weeks so tell all your friends and neighbors in Mechanicsville to hop on over and sign up for a class, camp, or birthday party. That's my shameless RNR plug of the week...

In CJSTUF news, our board met last week. While we don't have any major activities planned right now, there are some potentially large projects in the works for fall. Look for some CJSTUF merchandise to launch this summer (T-shirts, mugs, diaper pads...). Ok, maybe not diaper pads. These will be available on the website. In addition, Sarah Blankenship of Crystal Paintbrush is making some original jewelry designed exclusively for CJSTUF. It will feature lots of pink, purple, and butterflies! She is making a limited number of pieces and they will all be unique. We are hoping to launch this in September...just in time for the holiday shopping season. I saw a preview yesterday and was thrilled with the results!

In just a week we will launch our Home Based Biz of the Month. The business for June will be Tupperware! Dot Heffron and Jody Harmon will be the local reps handling this sale. I will post an update in the next week with all the details and we will update the website accordingly so stay tuned. This program is currently booked through August. July will feature Stella & Dot as well as design services by Reflections Interior Design. August will feature Mary Kay cosmetics. If you have any interest in any of these products, stay tuned for more information because a good portion of proceeds from the sale of these items will be donated to CJSTUF. We appreciate these entrepreneurs for their generosity.

If you have a Home-Based or Small Business and would like to be a featured fundraiser for CJSTUF, contact us and we will get you on the docket for the fall.

Once we return from Colorado, Roger will also be launching his official training schedule for his Double Marathon Madness this fall. He will run both the Chicago Marathon (in October) and the Richmond Marathon (in November). He has an ad hoc committee working with him on fundraising plans and events with a goal to raise $10,000.

Finally, soon after we return we will be distributing our first set of Financial Assistance Grants to 10 families served by MCV. I am excited that everyone that submitted an application qualified for funds, including two families that have two children (each) with a significant health need. We are very excited that we are able to do some GOOD WORK for the community this early in our development! The second set of applications are due October 1st so if you know anyone who would qualify, please encourage them to submit an application now.

On the personal front, I appreciate the many people who have inquired about our mental and physical health and well-being over the past few weeks. Roger and I continue to have our ups and downs on the emotional front. I was able to get away to NYC for a few days for Devon's graduation and that was a big help in the stress relief department. I'm really glad the opportunity presented itself. (Congrats, Devon!)

Preparing for this trip has been particularly emotional for me. Getting ready to fly on a plane just hearkens back all those memories of last year: commuting back and forth to Houston, the Disney trip, all of that travel with a very sick child. And now we fly alone. I don't need to tell anyone with kids that flying (or traveling) anywhere with a kid is an adventure in patience. Your packing style is different (why bother bringing a book to read? you won't need it!), there's so much more to think about. And getting on this plane without her is just another reminder that she is gone. Last year at this time, we were in Houston for the first time. We were meeting a new set of doctors, exploring options, wondering about the future.

Now here we are. This is our first truly "pleasure" trip in almost two years (I don't count the Make-A-Wish trip. As wonderful as that was, it was truly bittersweet and I'm not sure traveling with your terminally ill daughter qualifies as a vacation). We're traveling with one large suitcase for two people, a laptop, and a camera bag. Sometimes I think we're forgetting something. I hope that in these next few days we can just relax and recharge. I'm very happy that we can leave the store in such good hands. Our staff is amazing!

I'm sorry to leave you with sad news but we found out early this morning that Casey DeSombre passed away from Leukemia overnight. We never met Casey or his family but they were Caring Bridge folks who we have journeyed with for over a year. Casey was not quite three years old. Despite many innovative treatments and all the best care, he lost the battle. We pray for peace for his family at this difficult time. Cancer sucks. No other way to say it.

The most stress-full-est week ever

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since our last blog post. At the same time, we've been a little busy. I will try to update everyone.

First of all, a big thanks to the Mechanicsville Moms for the Used Book Sale last week. We raised almost $300 for CJSTUF which is not bad for a bunch of books priced at $.50 and $1 apiece. The remaining books were donated to the Ashland Library for their annual book sale at the Hanover Arts and Activities Center (July 4th....mark your calendars!).

Secondly, the Cow Drop raised a little over $1000 for CJSTUF. That will help two families! How great! I didn't win the Disney vacation or the Romp n' Roll birthday party (oh, wait...) but Roger had a great time at the event. Huge kudos to Pam and Sharon, the Virginia Center Chick-Fil-A marketing gurus who help to make this event a success year after year. Much thanks to them for including CJSTUF in their in-store sales.

In the middle of all these foundation events, we have been armpit deep in moving the business. Anyone who has ever built a house knows the stress that comes with construction. Take that and magnify it a few 1000 times when you move a business. Not only are you trying to get everything up and running in a timely manner, but you still have a business to run, vendors to pay, and a staff to manage. We're getting there but this is not my favorite thing in the world. I have HUGE thanks to offer to:

My parents: Not only did they help with painting and moving but they always had dinner (or lunch) ready for me and for Roger when we came home each night. Plus they're always good for a laugh or two!

Our Romp n' Roll staff: They roll with the punches and have displayed their many talents in this process including painting, shop-vacing, and packing.

Our many helpers and volunteers: Along with our paid staff, we have recruited a few volunteers to help with loaning us LARGE vehicles and painting and hauling and unbolting shelves and hanging bulletin boards and....

My husband: Roger is a pretty handy guy and he is doing a lot of the "grunt work" these days. I, in fact, have felt pretty useless lately and he is just a bundle of positive energy. I really appreciate all his hard work.

So, yes, this past weekend was Mother's Day. I pretty much tried to ignore it. At the same time, I felt extremely loved and supported by many friends and family. I think between keeping myself busy and the many positive notes, small gifts, and other gestures of kindness that were nudged my way, I made it through. The extra stress in my life certainly doesn't seem to help with my wanting to cry (or scream) at the drop of a hat. Today we had to take the cat to the vet (more on that in a moment) and as I was waiting to pick up Mr. Tigger, this other woman comes out to the lobby to pay her bill and makes an off-hand comment about "having to sacrifice her first born child" to pay the vet bills. I almost let loose with a snarky comment like, "You think vet bills are bad...try REALLY sacrificing your first born child to brain cancer." but I held my tongue. I know the woman meant nothing by the comment. In another age, I probably have made comments in the same vein and never thought about the actual words.

So why, you might ask, did I have to get Tigger from the vet? Well, Roger came home earlier today to get a needed tool and grab some lunch and found Tigger very injured. Apparently, he had tried to climb a fence (or something like that) and seriously hurt his foot. The tendon was actually exposed! Roger dropped everything and rushed him over to the vet (did I mention how wonderful he is?) and they took him in for surgery. Now he's wearing a funny cat collar and has to stay isolated in a room for 10-14 days. Oh, and we get to give him kitty meds. Goodie. The ladies at the vet's office said he was a really good boy and when I picked him up, he was meowing at about 100 decibels. He's resting in the spare bedroom right now, looking awfully pitiful.

In Foundation news, we have received our applications for Financial Assistance Grants. We do have at least 10. We will review them at the board meeting next week and we will be very excited to award the $500 grants to our recipients in early June. More on that to come. Roger is talking with a local business and we may have some great PR events lined up soon.

Also, we are slightly further along in the process of getting our nonprofit status. Still nothing official but we're one step closer. AND I think that within the next month (or two) we should have some SWEET CJSTUF t-shirts and other merchandise available for purchase. Stay tuned.

So, in closing, please keep the positive vibes flowing for our move. We are aiming to be open by Monday with a ribbon cutting at NOON on 5/17. Come on out if you're around. You can always become a fan of our new location on Facebook for the latest updates and moving pics. If you haven't heard, we are dedicating our moving week (this week) to ReeseStrong. 10% of any birthday bookings or summer class/camp bookings through Saturday will go back to this Mechanicsville based organization that is very dear to our hearts. SOOOO...if you live in Mechanicsville or know anyone that does, check out our Romp n' Roll website and call us to register today (shameless plug, I know, but it's for a good cause!).

A busy week & a beautiful picture.

There are two big events of note this week so I wanted to pass along a few reminders:

1. The Used Book Sale hosted by Mechanicsville Moms is TOMORROW (Thursday, 5/6) from 3 PM-7 PM at the Romp n' Roll at Virginia Center. There will be used books for all ages AND baked goods. Come on out during one of the LAST Open Gym sessions at the Virginia Center location to get some great books.
   
   
2. The Chick-Fil-A Cow Drop is Saturday, May 8th from 11 AM-3 PM. Roger will be there with a romp n' roll obstacle course. You can buy $10 tickets at the Virginia Center Chick-Fil-A until Friday May 7th. $6 from every ticket benefits CJSTUF! You do NOT have to be present the day of the cow drop to win any of the fabulous prizes....but if you are able to be there it's always a fun event with kid's activities, family entertainment, chick-fil-a FOOD, and more!

Other than that, there is not much to report. Romp n' Roll's move to Mechanicsville is coming along. It's very stressful right now for all of us but it will all be over in a few weeks. I am grateful to my family and others who have been helping with painting. We also have our great employees and some other volunteers who are donating vehicles and/or their able bodies to help with the move. There is a lot to get done before May 16th but I think we will get there.

Emotionally, I've been a wreck this week. I don't think I've felt this bad since January. Everything just kind of slammed me in the face and between the stress of the move and other issues, missing Charlotte has just been an added stressor that's made me "on edge". I apologize to anyone who I might have snapped at or been less than courteous to this week. I am grateful for the many friends and family (and most especially my husband) who have been leaving lovely notes, special gifts (often anonymously) and just giving me extra encouragement this week.

To close, I will leave you with my new favorite picture of our girl. I just finished uploading a bunch of pics to Costco so I could actually get prints made. Going through the photos of our trip to Florida, etc. and this one is certainly one of the best, in my opinion. I nabbed this one during our Penguin Encounter at Sea World. Those eyes just speak volumes....