Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 -- Mattie died 321 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2005. Mattie was three years old and he loved spending time in our room and in our bed. We spent many a time at night reading there, playing, and at times when Mattie was battling cancer, he would watch Scooby Doo movies from this perch. 


Quote of the day: There’s nothing as cozy as a piece of candy and a book. ~  Betty MacDonald

My friend Debbie sent me this photo today. Apparently it is Vanilla Cupcake Day. When Debbie saw this sign, she took a photo of it for me and then also had a cupcake in honor of Mattie. This was a very touching email to receive! Mattie lived on vanilla frosted cupcakes when he was in the hospital. I made cupcakes any chance I was home, brought them to the hospital, and used them as incentives for Mattie to do his physical therapy. Many of us can't look at a vanilla cupcake without thinking of Mattie. 

This afternoon, I went to the Lab School of Washington to pick up their load of candy for Mattie Miracle. The Lab School has been donating candy to us for the last three years. When I go to pick up the candy, I also get the opportunity to meet the children who collected and helped sort it, as well as explain the purpose of the collection and where the candy will go. 

Collection and sorting is a process. Because I pick it up, bring it upstairs to our home, and then begin to sort it. As you can see our dining room looks like Candy Chaos! I am thankful that many schools and organizations donating candy this year are also using their own volunteers to sort it. This helps greatly manage what our team has to sort. However, there is still plenty of candy that comes in to us unsorted. It comes in by the garbage bag full, which is a daunting sight and just as daunting to sort. However, if candy isn't sorted it all takes on the smell and flavor of the other long term. In addition, I have found that it is important to sort the candy in order to inspect it. So though laborious, there is a purpose for the sorting. Meanwhile keep in mind that I have friends with dining rooms that look just as chaotic all around town, as they are collecting candy and sorting for Mattie Miracle.