Sunday Comics

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Sacred Family Saturday!

Monster House Follow Friday!

@TheMandalyn

Momma to a monster who just got an SPD diagnosis. Show the love, people

@trish3kids

One of my roomies for BlogHer!

@lovelylicious

The other one of my roomies for BlogHer, and a good friend of mine

@bigdaddyautism

Because he keeps it light. AND, I'm trying to give away copies of his book. Enter, people! ENTER!

@chuckecheese

Because they offered to give me goodies at BlogHer to take back to Big Daddy... because SOMEONE *cough* told them he's their BIGGEST fan of all time. ;)

THE HASHTAGS

I am saturated in the BlogHer bug this week. Therefore:

#blogher11

#blogher

#bhnewbie

#CECBlogHer

Lane Bryant, I'm calling YOU out!

As everyone knows, I'll be attending BlogHer in San Diego next week (I STILL can't believe it, so I say it every chance I get!). Now, because I will be interacting with many people who do not have 7 monsters, and who have more in their wardrobe than cut off sweats and ratty t-shirts, the Daddy and I decided it would be a good time to add some grown up articles of clothing to my "collection". And by collection, I mean the rags I usually wear every day.

You can imagine my delight when I looked online (let's be realistic, people. BlogHer will be the first time in three years I'll be getting out of the house for more than 6 hours without children) and saw that Lane Bryant was having an online sale; 40% off a $100 purchase, or 50% off a $200 purchase.  Why was I delighted? I'm the first to admit I'm not Victoria's Secret model material. Let's leave it at that. Back to the story.

After selecting several things, to a total of nearly $300, getting the discount, and adding the expedited 3 day shipping, we had only spent $150. SCORE, right? WRONG. One nanosecond after entering our credit card information, the funds were out of our account. To be honest, I expected that. But check out  my order confirmation email. I've highlighted the part that pisses me off.: 

Thank you for shopping at LaneBryant.com !

We've received your order and are working to get it to you!

If you ordered merchandise from any of our retail partners, you may receive your order in multiple shipments.

We'll send you an e-mail each time we ship an item to you. Your credit card is only charged when an item ships.

ORDER INFORMATION

------------------------------------------------------------------

Order #: 19582057

Order Date: Jul 25 2011

But that's not all! Check out my tweet, and @lanebryant response from yesterday.. which, by the way, was July 27, 2011

@ihave7monstersCaryn Haluska

Dear @lanebryant I ordered online monday. You still have not shipped anything. Why?

18 hours ago via TweetDeck Favorite Reply Delete

@lanebryantlanebryant

@ihave7monsters Please contact customer service at : 866.886.4731 Thank you

17 hours ago via HootSuite Favorite Retweet Reply

Turns out,  they had put an "address hold" on my order on Tuesday,  which makes no sense, as they called for address confirmation at the crack of dawn tuesday morning. THEN they put an accounting hold on my order.  An ACCOUNTING HOLD for what purpose? We used a Visa debit. Payment was immediate. Lane Bryant, I would be HAPPY to fax you a copy of my bank statement, which shows you were paid DAYS before you shipped. 

Now. I am a bit stressed. Here's why. I paid for 3 day shipping, knowing I was ordering  REALLY close to my departure date of 8/4.  I now have 4 business days ( 4 shipping days) left until I depart.They shipped it out LAST NIGHT. And "guaranteed" that it would all be here Monday. 

Bottom line? GREAT sale.  Decent prices. CRAPPY customer service, lacking any form of apology for completely screwing up my order, no offers to bump my shipping to 2 day because of their multiple errors.  Not even an offer of a coupon for my next order. Lane Bryant, YOU SUCK! All I have to say is, that order contains ALL my daytime clothes for BlogHer. I will be livid if I have to run out next week and buy clothes for BlogHer, with a now very limited budget. This IS NOT PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR on your part. And I will tell EVERYONE I meet how ridiculous this experience was. 

GIVEAWAY with a twist!

Oh, addicts. I am SO excited to be able to tell you all about this rockin' awesome giveaway. As you know, Big Daddy of Big Daddy Autism has written a book. It's funny. It's light. It's just the thing we need as special needs parents,and bloggers, to chase away the not so fun stuff of being a special needs parent for a little while. The first time I read it, I read it all in one day, with one break to rest my face, which hurt from smiling and laughing the whole time.

As you know, Big Daddy and I had a deal. If he pimped out The Momma Project and I went to BlogHer, I would pimp out his book ( which I contributed to, by the way. Check out page 135!). And guess what? I always keep my promises! I have 2 autographed copies to give away, and 2 unmarked. Now, as with every giveaway, there are ways in which to qualify to win. Are you ready? Are you prepared? Are you excited? Here we go:

• To enter for this book giveaway, you MUST be attending BlogHer, so I can deliver it to you. I have permission to do so, during the conference. Check ME out, doing the research and stuff ahead of time! I will NOT be shipping books out. No exceptions.
• Click over to Big Daddy's blog and tell me what was happening July 30,2010. Griffin would be so proud of you for having the correct answer. Leave your answer in the comments WITH contact info. Remember, I'll be at BlogHer so your twitter id or email would be easiest.

What's that? You REALLY REALLY want an autographed copy? You want to see if there really IS dorito and pizza stains throughout Big Daddy's signature? Ok. For a chance to win one of the autographed copies, in addition to previous:

• In the comment section, leave a link to your favorite Big Daddy blog post of all time, and tell me why it's your fave.

This giveaway is open from Wednesday, July 27, 2011 through MIDNIGHT, Tuesday, August 2,2011 MST. I will be contacting winners and setting up meeting places Wednesday, August 3, 2011.

Want MORE entries? You may earn additional entries by providing a link for one tweet and one facebook post/ day.

Good luck!

Overdosing on reality

Remember the other day, when I did the Hero of the Week? And I told you all about Dani, a special needs Momma who also has the evil cancer? Well, she's posting  about her doses of reality over on her blog today. Because I heart Dani, and respect her, I have decided that the best way I can support her is to help her voice be heard. So, my wonderful, awesome, incredible, loving, supportive addicts, CLICK HERE to extend some of your amazingness back to her. You won't be sorry. And also, if any of you have any kind of information for resources for her, please ~ I beg you~ share with her.

We are a community of parents helping each other hurdle those pesky mountains life keeps throwing at us. I have seen first hand what miracles can happen when someone extends a need. I've seen it for Deeds, and I've seen it for me. We are strong, we are fierce, we are each others' cheerleaders. Without the support of each other, where would we be? Life is too short, people.

I don't know how to help Dani best. Do you? If you don't, do you know someone who does? A wise man once told me, "Caryn, you already know the people who can help you. You just haven't asked the right one yet." Are you, or someone close to you, the person who can help my hero?

Image by msnbc, via google

Not my turn

Today, I was tap tap tapping away on my keyboard, getting ready to post some light entertainment for y'all. But then, Gina's post came through and I stopped to read it. Following that, I deleted everything I had written, and you get this, instead. She told me she was writing last night, with me in mind. You see... I kinda had a little meltdown with her last week, late one night. And I cried. And I wondered why. And I asked all the questions, between sobs, that every special needs parent asks over and over again. it went on for an hour, buzzing through the phone lines. And this is what she wrote. Please go over, give her some love, and tell her how meaningful it was for YOU.

Click Here

Gina my friend.. You have overwhelmed me once again. Sending LOTS of love and appreciation your way.

Sacred Family Saturday!

Family

Reunion

Day 2!

See you Monday! Have a great weekend!

Monster House Follow Friday!

Here we go! Check these tweeps out!

@gypsy_momma

@CafeSmom

@theoopseat 

@MomInManagement

@BlogHer

And, a new addition to Monster House Follow Friday~ hashtags to follow!

#blogher11

#TheMommaProject

#SaveAyn

Hero of the week

Every so often, I have the extreme honor of meeting women who simply astound me. The reasons are varied and multi-faceted. But always, ALWAYS, they are an inspiration, people who make me realize that there are genuine heroes in this world disguised as regular people, going quietly about their business, never suspecting that their very existence is a strength to those around them . I am honored to be able to introduce you to one such woman today.

If you follow me on twitter, you will have seen me talking to this woman just about every time I'm there. She is humble, unassuming, an unwavering cheerleader to everyone she meets. She never fails to be pleasant and courteous. I am, of course, talking about Dani, also known as @min_svart_ros . She blogs at My Corner of the Pond. Y'all go on over and show her some love in her comments, or tweet her a hug. She could use some.

The following paragraphs are copied and pasted directly from the document Dani sent me for a guest post. It is so moving, the tears were flowing freely as I read it. I hope it touches you as much as it did me. I have not edited the text in any way, save for spacing between paragraphs.

---------------------------------------------------

When my husband & I were married 17 years ago I never thought we would be faced with some of the trials we have faced. Sure we have had our marital issues, the usual fights and miss communications like everyone. However we have also faced our share of life issues.

My husband had a ruptured disk in his back early on in our marrage. They did two surgeries & he has been disabled for a little over 12 years. Recently he has gone back to school to get his BA. You think that would be enough but about 7 years ago, I started getting sick with seemingly unconnected vague health problems. Took me 2 years and saw seven doctors before I was diagnosed. After much testing I received, a phone call at work from the Dr. He told me I had a rare form of cancer. He went on to say he knew nothing about it & I should look it up. He said I had a 2.5cm Carcinoid Tumor in my lung it is a Neuroendocrine Cancer. I was floored that he was telling me this while I was at work over the phone.

The next few months were filled with appointments and I had surgery May 31, 2006. They took out the lower lobe of my right lung. Oct. of that same year I was back in having emergency gallbladder surgery. Shortly after, I was sick again & they were running more nuclear scans & tests on me. Dec. 23, 2006 I received a call after returning from a work Christmas party. The nurse on the phone was telling me I had to come into the hospital right away. My potassium was so low they were afraid I was going to go into cardiac arrest and my condition made it worse. WAIT... Hold on I said... My condition? The nurse went on to ask me “Didn’t you know you were pregnant?” Umm NO...

PA was born July 20, 2007. She was 5lb. 10oz. It was a very difficult pregnancy especially while I was still recovering from a thoracotomy. She was not your typical child & had many feeding issues as well as GI issues. She also was not hitting her milestones, as she should. At 18 months old, she had two grand-mall seizures and many other seizures after that. She stopped all development. She stopped eating, playing, had low muscle tone that made it difficult for her to walk. We had her assessed at 2 ½ and were told they did not want to diagnose her with Autism right then & gave us a PDD-NOS diagnosis. We are getting her reassessed to get the Autism diagnosis they did not want to give us because they said she was too young.

While I was dealing with my PA’s issues, I had become sick once again. I went through more testing and they told me my cancer had metastasized but they cannot find where it is. I have what they call Carcinoid Syndrome. A very debilitating illness is very hard to treat. My cancer is considered incurable and we now it is a waiting game. Right now, the tumors are too small for them to see. There is no way of telling how many there are either. The biggest drawback to this is traditional chemotherapy and radiation will not work for this cancer. It is truly complicated.

At this point, I am starting my fight with my insurance company to see one of three specialists in the country. Because this is so rare, only a few doctors are able to treat this effectively and my health plan does not have any specialist in plan. The three specialists are also, far from where I live so I have to travel there. If I can get my health ins. To send me I still have to get there & pay for lodging & food. Then there is the fact I have to take my 3 yr. old with me which is an added cost. This will take a while but I am a very determined person and I refuse to give up and need to be around for my husband and both my girls.

Wonder Woman image by Photobucket; frog and lilypad from Dani's blog

The Oops Seat

Today, I am starting a lovely new partnership with Lisa from The oopseat! And I am so very excited.  Lisa contacted me, wondering if I'd be interested in letting her company partner with The Momma  Project by allowing her to donate 20% of her proceeds between now and August 1. Of COURSE I said I'd love it, and edited the chip in widget accordingly! Let me tell you all about it.

The oopseat is a company started by the mother of a son with autism. She noticed a problem that many of us have at meal times, craft times, therapy play, and any other time our children sit on one of our lovely upholstered kitchen chairs.  Soon, these chairs aren't so lovely anymore, covered in stains from craft paints, play doh, juice, jello, Popsicles, etc. I know at the monster house, it's not uncommon for THIS momma to run around shrieking, "Why? Why can't I EVER have anything NICE?"

Enter The oopseat... a nifty little chair cover, offering salvation to mothers everywhere. Not only is this seat cover convenient at home, but also when traveling, at restaurants, at grama and grandad's house... the uses for the oops seat are limitless.  The oopseat easily wipes off and is waterproof. It is durable. Added bonus.. if you have a monster like mine that absolutely needs routine, this is perfect! Your little monster will always know where his/her place is at any table, because of the familiarity of the seat cover.

Theoopseat comes in square or rounded shapes, to fit virtually any kitchen chair, and in a variety of fabric choices.  With every seat cover purchase between now and August 1,2011, The oopseat will donate $10 to The Momma Project, benefiting the HollyRod Foundation and 4 Paws for Ability. But wait! It gets better! The first 3 people to order The Oops Seat will receive a place mat as well, a value of $11.99.

Need more convincing?  Imagine how much more hygienic this seat cover will be, as opposed to your kitchen chairs with the crevices between slats, that you can't ever quite get to.  The oopseat can easily be cleaned after each use with a kitchen wipe, or spray cleaner and a paper towel.

I LOVE the oopseat! Let me know what YOU think!

Sunday Comics

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

We've had some excitement at the Monster House. I'm just a tad bit wounded, you see, and it will take a little while to recover. Nothing serious, or life threatening. I sloshed boiling oil over the sides of a pot when I was transferring it from stove top to oven to let it cool. I'm anal about boiling oil. No monsters allowed in the kitchen when I cook with it, and everyone in the house has to freeze when I move it. For this very reason. So, I have some really awesome blisters and redness, and my hands are stiff. I'm doing the two finger hunt and peck method of typing, and it's making me insane.

So, to keep my mind off the snap, crackle, pop sounds my skin made, I have announcements! Announcement the first: The Momma Project is still open and running until the 27th. All funds in excess of one thousand dollars will be donated to charity, since we hit our goal! To date, as shown on the widget at the top right of the blog, we have raised $65 for HollyRod and 4 Paws! Keep up the good work, y'all!

Announcement the second: We have an awesome opportunity to partner up with a fledgling company, who will donate a portion of their proceeds to The Momma Project while it runs! More on that Monday.

Announcement the third: For those of you not going to BlogHer, tell me what you want to learn the most. Do you want to know how to market your blog? Do product reviews? Do a better job at targeting a specific audience? How to approach a brand? How to design your blog for success? How to be more of a resource with your blog?  By giving me your input, it will help me to know what my readers want to know. After all.. my followers sent me to BlogHer, and I want to be able to bring back the knowledge y'all seek. I'm YOUR ambassador. How cool is THAT?!? I haven't heard, thus far, of anyone else who's followers sent them. Y'all have made me unique, and I have the utmost respect for that. I won't let you down!

Announcement the fourth: People, I'm scared to death! Would ya PLEASE tell me which of you all ARE going to BlogHer so I won't be the only one there that knows no one and sits in the corner sucking her thumb and crying for her mommy?

Announcement the fifth: Kat from over at Kat's Cafe has the incredible oppportunity to get an iPad for her Minis from Apps for Children with Special Needs for the incredible price of $200. We won't go in to why this would be an impossible strain for her family. Let's just move on to the fact that we all know that miracles can happen. I saw it myself when my followers raised the money for me to go to BlogHer in ten short days. So. For the Minis... I donated. Will you? She has nine days, and only needs  $155. Please tweet it up and link to her site and make sure to mention her in your tweet (@moody_mommy). It's good karma, and she worked hard to make sure I went to BlogHer. Now it's HER turn.

Oh, yikes. Finger cramps. MEDIC!!!


Until tomorrow, my addicts!

All images in this post by Photobucket, of  COURSE!

Monster House Follow Friday!

Welcome, addicts, to this week's Monster House Follow Friday! There are SO many great  people to suggest. Without further ado, here we go, for this week's  features:

@moody_mommy

The woman has created a "Special Needs Blogging Addicts" Tribe on Triberr, and invited ME! Yup. I got on triberr. I'm totally confused by it, but I got on. 

@Special_Happens

She's could be one of Babble's top 25 autism blogs! I am SO FREAKIN PROUD OF HER! Go and vote... she very much deserves it! Here's the link - help her out, people! You can vote more than once per day.

@littlebitquirk

Because, well, she's turned into my BlogHer tutor. I keep asking her all the stupid questions. And she hasn't told me to take a hike yet!  That's a good sign, right?

@Birdakamaude

The woman has MAD gfcf/vegan baking skills. I'm telling you.. she's my GFCF baking hero, and she's BUCKETS of awesome.  I said so, so it must be true!

Cue the Separation Anxiety

I have a growth. Actually, that's not an accurate statement. I have TWO growths, as of 9:00 yesterday morning. The twinnie monsterlettes are having a little bit of a perpetual freak out. I never stopped to consider that six weeks without half their siblings, followed by their sudden return, would completely mess up the youngest members of our family. No one can visit the bathroom without a twinnie meltdown. No one can go into another room without causing floods of tears and "Don't WEAVE ME!"

view original image

I had to run to the grocery store last night, and you would have thought the world had come to an end. I had a monsterlette attached to each leg, and every time I took a step toward the front door, the screaming volume increased, and it felt as though I were trudging through quick set concrete.

At the same time I am trying to make my escape, I also feel unhealthy amounts of guilt. I mean, here I am, for all intents and purposes trying to re-enact the Shawshank Redemption, amid screams that would put a B grade horror flick to shame.

Logan has bitten his nails until they are bloody, #6 has been banging his head on the floor, both of them REFUSE to walk on their own, and insist they be held at all times. How could I have overlooked this outcome as a possibility? AND, as if this weren't enough? In three weeks *I* am leaving for 4 days to attend BlogHer. Now I'm the one with the anxiety.

As much as I love Bubbe for flying in from Ohio to tend the monsters while I am away (and y'all know I love her a LOT), I have moments where I wonder if it really is okay to leave. Guess what? It IS okay. It IS okay to crave enough time to paint ALL TEN of my toenails. It IS okay to count down the days to departure, and gleefully anticipate a nap during my flight. And, it IS okay to be excited about attending the Special Needs Mini Con at BlogHer this year. And, two pair of slacks, a couple cute shirts, and some shoes are NOT going to break the bank.... but they sure will do wonders for my self esteem! So, it IS okay to indulge myself while preparing for this trip.

Here are the facts: It has been almost exactly one year since I left the house with only the Daddy for longer than one hour. I need time to regroup.. to find myself again, and realize that there is more to me than being The Momma. It's vitally important. No one can exist solely to be what everyone else needs, and never ever take time to themselves. You die inside, a little at a time, until you no longer recognize yourself. Sometimes depression takes over, and that's no good for ANYONE.

I explain it to the Daddy in this way:

"I love my monsters. I love them more than there are words to express. There is nothing I would not do for them. However, if you love chocolate cake, and all you EVER got to eat was chocolate cake, there would come a point at which you wouldn't be able to tolerate the sight, smell, or thought of chocolate cake. I don't EVER want to reach that point, where motherhood is concerned. Therefore, I'm taking this trip so I won't HATE motherhood.. because it is my greatest joy." He understood.

My Version Of Heaven

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Blog for a Tuesday

I have to admit my extreme embarrassment at reaching the BlogHer goal for The Momma Project and then disappearing.  That was never my intention. We have had a wild few days with ineffective melatonin, meltdowns, single parenting,  sick gut issues with Logan, and other things,  and I just haven't had a chance to be online much at all.

The Momma Project is still running until the 27th of July. Any funds over one thousand dollars will be donated to HollyRod and 4 Paws. For more information, please click on The Momma Project page at the top of the blog.

And now, the EXCITING NEWS! Remember all the sad cartoons about monsters 1-3 leaving for the summer? Guess WHAT?! They will be home Wednesday... as in.. TOMORROW!!

I can't believe how the summer has flown. I'll be scheduling lots of appointments for specialists, check ups at the pediatrician (something EVERY mother and child looks forward to, right?),

the annual dental cleanings,  getting prescriptions for glasses updated and filled, all that fun stuff everyone does before school starts.

 Has the summer flown for anyone else? Seems like it just started, and yet.. there are blossoms on the veggie plants in the garden, the 4th of July has come and gone, and BlogHer is only.... 3 weeks away?! Wow. This means Bubbe will be at the Monster House, live and in person, in only 3 weeks? Oh, crap. I'll start cleaning now.......

Video in this post by YouTube;  Saturday Evening Post cover  by Curtis Publishing

Sacred Family Saturday!

Happy Saturday, Monster House addicts! Today's family activity will be weeding the garden and other yard work. Of course, that will be this evening when it's cooler. Until then, we'll be doing this:

and some of this

with a little of this mixed in

Check out the ChipIn widget over there on the sidebar, y'all! I'm going to BlogHer '11!! 

Now, remember, the widget will stay up until the 27th, for donations to HollyRod and 4 Paws. You can get all the info by clicking the "The Momma Project" page at the top, under the header.

Happy Saturday, y'all!!

All animations and graphics in this post by Photobucket

Floating on a cloud of happy

Things are hoppin' here at the Monster House, what with The Momma Project, amazing bloggy buddies that are helping, twitter, email, and internet that likes to make life interesting by not working. Here's the latest update. We have raised over $400 in donations for The Momma Project. The widget is oh, so very slow to update, and there is one very special donation that won't show up there for 3-5 days. BUT... with the donation matching that is still going on until midnight tonight, we're over $600!! You guys? I'M GOING TO BLOGHER!!!!!!!!!! And it's all because of YOU.. my wonderful, awesome addicts. Who else is going? Should we meet up?

Oodles and gaboodles of love and thanks to you, my addicts!

Fairy Godmothers, Pixie Dust, and Granting Wishes

Bubbelehs, You know how Murphy likes to play games? Well, the most amazing thing has happened to The Momma and her Internet has chosen THIS MOMENT to take a cigarette break. So I'm here to tell you (in my uniquely low-tech way) what's going on with The Momma Project.

A fairy godmother came down today from Help-The-Momma-Land and told The Momma that she would match dollar-for-dollar* ALL DONATIONS to The Momma Project that are donated between last night until Friday night at midnight (technically Sat 12 a.m.). Yes, that's right, if you donate $10, she'll match it with another $10. Donate $50, and your donation will instantly become $100, thanks to The Fairy Godmother. Feeling strapped? If you forgo your $2 Dunkin' Donuts coffee and contribute that to The Momma, it'll be like you gave up TWO cups of coffee.

So what are you waiting for? Team up with The Fairy Godmother to send The Momma to Blogher! (The clickable widget is over there on the right in the sidebar.)

Thank you, Bubbelehs! You're all mensches**!!

*Until The Momma reaches her target -- remember, though, any excess goes to one of two amazing charities: The HollyRod Foundation and 4 Paws for Ability.

**Really good people

***ChipIn is very, very safe and secure and won't spam you.

For Me?!?

Addicts, I  have it on good authority that Big Daddy did a cartoon for me today. This is something I must see for myself... and share with others! Click on over, and see what he's drawn. I really, truly haven't been there yet. I'm a lil scared.. tell me if it's a good one, m'kay? Thanks. ;)

Bubbe's in the house!

Today we have the honor of a letter from Bubbe, on this Independence Day. Give her a warm welcome back, Monster House style, addicts. I expect nothing less from all my incredible followers.

Bubbelehs,

Today is Independence Day. The day we celebrate our freedom.

Independence and freedom comes in all shapes and sizes. Certainly, there's the freedom that we embraced when we broke free of England's rule in 1776 (and became a coffee-drinking nation). But in today's world, where we're so removed from that experience, we can -- and should -- celebrate our many freedoms, our personal independence, and help others who are oppressed -- by choice, circumstances, or ignorance -- achieve independence.

What is Bubbe talking about? Well, for example…

Financial freedom -- for someone who is unemployed and struggling to put food on the table, a new job is their freedom. You can help someone by putting in a good word for him, sitting with her while she looks through careerbuilders, or helping him interview confidently by role-playing with him.

Independence from oppressors -- if someone you know is in a relationship that is abusive (physically, mentally, or otherwise) but afraid to take the risk to leave, today is a perfect day to reach out to her and tell her you will be there to help whenever she needs.

The freedom of good health -- perhaps you've been putting off a diet because it seems daunting, but you know that you'll feel better, your joints won't ache, you won't be so tired, et cetera, if you eat healthier. Take the plunge and find a diet that you can stick to.

Independence Day is a perfect time to help yourself and help those around you achieve freedom.

Which brings me to… the Momma Project. The Momma, as you know, would like to go to BlogHer. She has a ticket. She has a babysitter (Bubbe's gonna do her bubbe-thing). She doesn't have airfare or a hotel. She needs help from people who care about her, who benefit from her words of wisdom delivered with a dose of humor and some bags under her eyes.

The Momma needs BlogHer because for her, BlogHer represents freedom. Independence. If she is able to create a profitable business of her blog while retaining the unique voice that is so entertaining yet educational, everyone wins. She will be able to ensure Logan gets what he needs to become independent, to be free of the need for life-long supports. You, her loyal readers, will have helped her develop a blog that can help you more than it already does.

Equally important (or maybe more so), because Logan is home-bound due to his unexplained seizures and other medical issues, The Momma is home-bound. And she needs freedom from being The Momma for a couple days. She needs to be The Blogger, The Funny Girl, The Sponge, The Carefree Adult, The Student for a couple days. She needs to find her independence. So she can return to being The Momma, energized, filled with new information to share with you, her followers, and better than ever.

So this Independence Day, help The Momma, help yourself, help your friends and family achieve independence, find freedom.

Happy Independence Day, Bubbelehs!

P.S. Click here to Let Freedom Ring for The Momma!

images and animations for this post by Photobucket

Sunday Comics

Click comic to view larger, or control +

By ihave7monsters | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Monster House Follow Friday!

It's FRIDAY! The beginning of a long weekend, no less! So many people will be out of town, celebrating with family and friends, and setting off fireworks. May you all enjoy a safe and happy holiday.

And NOW.. Monster House Follow Friday! This week, I'm very thankful for the following, for helping so much with The Momma Project by phoning, tweeting, blogging, and posting to facebook. Follow, follow, FOLLOW, my addicts. They are all amazing!

@bigdaddyautism

@Special_Happens

@autismfather

@jillsmo

@MomInManagement

@Gingerheaddad

@AutismSupermom <-- she won the BlogHer ticket!

@OMum22