Lily's Got Feet!

The casts came off!

Perhaps these exam rooms are a bit over decorated.

Pancakes, Pies, and Pop Tabs: Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House

What is it exactly?

I am glad you asked.

What if your child had to be in and out of a hospital in another city?

Where would you stay?

What if you had to be in this other city for days or weeks or months?

Ronald McDonald House (RMH) is a place where families can lodge while their

children are in and out the hospital. They are designed to feel as much like

your home as possible. Kitchens. Laundry facilities. Play areas. Bedrooms.

It is a great thing and a worthy cause to support.

Susan recently stayed at the RMH in Philadelphia while taking Sophie to Shriners.

Don't tell Ronald McDonald but just look at this view from their window.

Tsk. Tsk.

Where is the Burger King House?

The RMH kitchen looks a lot like the Thompson family kitchen.

Mission accomplished on the "feeling at home" agenda.

The RMH breakfast looks tasty!

What makes the RMH affordable? Donations from people like you,

and fundraising from many outside sources, including Grace's sorority at Ole Miss:

They also raise money by recycling aluminum from pop tabs: $1 per pound.

It is commonplace for a particular house to receive donations of 15 tons per year.

Yes, mathletes, that's $30,000 per year from recycling your Diet Coke tabs, so don't

throw them away. Save them and give them to someone collecting them for RMH,

like Emily Sigler. Emily has 250,000 tabs already, and wants to collect 1 million.

The clinic at Shriners is decked out with sea life. Sophie is partial to the mermaids.

Underwater owls? 

Hootie and the Blowfish?

LukeTakes Manhattan and Marches on Philadelphia

Luke and friends from the HHS marching band got the opportunity to march in the

Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade. So, naturally, they headed straight for New York!

Stopping by the Big Apple en route, they dropped in on a giant toy store, viewed the city

from many angles, wandered about freely, and visited Rockefeller Center, Times Square,

and Radio City Music Hall. They even made time to see Chicago on Broadway!

Eventually they found their way to Philadelphia, where there was more sight seeing,

lots of good food, and a very cold but super fun Thanksgiving parade, featuring them!

FAO Schwarz

Lego Creations

Radio City Music Hall

Top of the Rock

Hovering Over Gotham

Pretty Classy

On to Philly, and the Liberty Bell

Independence Hall

Hanover High Marching Hawks

Happy Thanksgiving, Philadelphia

Celebrity Sophie

Sophie, hanging out with pal Desiree Williams (aka Miss Virginia 2013)

Sophie: "Dad. She is SOOO beautiful!"

Dad: "So are you, Sophie! So are you!"

Sophie (with Milk Moustache)

Got Milk?

Today, Sophie is with Susan at Shriner's in Philadelphia.

They were impressed with her hard work and progress and rewarded her with this!

A Tale of Two Cities

In Philadelphia, Sophie takes a break from PT

Mirror art is good for developing balance

In Mechanicsville, Mama Martha and Annabelle are knitting away

In Philadelphia, Sophie is working a Little Mermaid puzzle

In Mechanicsville, Jacob is tanking up on Gancyclovir

In Philadelphia, Sophie is coloring mermaids

In Mechanicsville, Jacob and his dad wonder if those Angry Birds will ever forgive and forget

In Philadelphia, Sophie's plush cat is the life of the party

at the Ronald McDonald House

In Mechanicsville, Samuel adds sea horses to his aquarium

In Philadelphia, Sophie plays with Stella (local therapy dog)

Then Stella takes kitty's place as "life of the party"