“Layla went to play with the angels early this morning. Rest in peace precious Layla. 11/26/2007 - 3/9/2010.”

It’s been heartbreaking to follow Layla Grace on Twitter.  I remember when I first saw a celebrity tweet to ”please pray for Layla Grace.”  It was one of a bunch of tweets on my home page that day.  But, for some reason, I clicked over to Layla’s page.  I began to read all the updates from her Mom and Dad.  I read about her story on their website, www.laylagrace.org.  I became so attached to Layla and her family because of their amazing honesty, raw emotion, strength, and spirit.  They let us into their lives.  I saw my daughter in their daughter.  Her big blue eyes.  Her love of pink and the book “Pinkalicious.”  Her love of tutus and flowers.  Her love of Hello Kitty.  Her beautiful smile.  Layla was only 3 months older than my daughter.  

I continued to read their twitter updates, website blog entries, and look at the many photo albums of Layla Grace and her two older sisters.  Every entry would break my heart, but it also inspired me.  Layla inspired me.  She STILL inspires me.  In the simplest of terms she just inspires me to be a better Mom. She reminds me to not let one day go by without telling my kids that I love them.  She inspires me to appreciate each and every moment with my family.  She inspires me to DO something.   I want to help, because right now I just feel helpless.  I want to help raise awareness for this horrible disease.  I want to get involved with my local children’s cancer charity.  I want Layla’s family to know that their daughter made me want to make a difference.

Layla Grace died from Neuroblastoma.  During a radio interview her mother said it is the most common pediatric cancer.  Yet most people still say to her, “What is that?  I’ve never heard of it before.”  I had not heard of it either.  There are about 650 new cases of Neuroblastoma each year in the United States and 50% of those occur in children under the age of two.  And now, because of Layla and her family’s outreach on the Internet, Neuroblastoma has touched my life.  And thousands of others lives too.  She has over 40,000 followers on Twitter alone.

No, I have never met Layla.  No, I have never met her family or her friends.  But I feel deeply connected to her spirit.

Is it comforting to know that she is now, as her Mommy and Daddy wrote this afternoon, playing with the angels. 

You completed your job here on earth, little Layla.  Rest in peace.

I know Jeremy will be getting film offers left and right.  He’s a super talented (not to mention good looking) leading man.  I read he was romancing Jessica Simpson at a pre-Oscar bash and I think that would be great.  (No matter what you think of Jessica, she definitely needs to find a good man.)

History was also made last night.  It was the first time a female director won the Best Director honor, so that was doubly awesome for The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow.  She looked really nervous and truly surprised.  I can’t wait to see what she does next.

I have to mention Sandra Bullock winning Best Actress for The Blind Side.  I loved that her acceptance speech was equally touching and heartfelt as it was cute and witty.  Her husband looked so proud.

Another highlight of the evening was this tribute to the late director John Hughes.  It was so cool to see many members of the original “Brat Pack” on stage to talk about their experiences with the director.  This clip reel of his work really made me remember his many iconic films from the 1980’s that were so REAL and filled with such SOUL.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin did a C+ job as our hosts for the LONG evening.  I will always love Steve Martin.  He’s such a likable Dad from films like Father of the Bride and Parenthood.  I just don’t GET 30 Rock (Sorry!), so it’s hard for me to rally around Alec Baldwin.  I just think of him as the crazy Dad yelling at his daughter on the phone.

Finally, can I PLEASE LOOK LIKE THIS when I’m her age??  Or, right now even?  She looked GORGEOUS and was the best dressed of the night.

And, yes, my hubbie is the best.  He IRONS.

Here’s the video.

Katelyn Epperly

Siobhan Magnus

Lee Dewyze

Casey James

Also, Kris Allen had an amazing live performance last night and he proved once again why he deserved to win.

The first year she auditioned she had to quit because her father was shot to death by her stepmother.  Awful.

The second year she landed in jail with unpaid traffic tickets.  She could not afford (nor could anyone in her life afford, I assume) to bail her out.  She watched the auditions from inside a cell.  She also has a special needs daughter AND her mother disappeared two months ago.  She’s had a tough life.  A tragic life, really.  But she is an incredible singer who did not give up on her dream.  She is an inspiration.

This year, she made it all the way to Hollywood Week and then… the judges CUT HER.  Um, What??  SHOCKER! I could not believe it.  I think it’s wonderful that Ellen had Angela on her talk show today to showcase her talent once again and Kara DioGuardi has now agreed to write Angela a song and help her find a record label.

That’s all great news.  But WE needed the opportunity to see Angela on American Idol.  She deserved that.  WE deserved that.  Shame on you, American Idol.  You got it wrong this time.

 PS:  Another reason to like her?  Her name is a character on The Office.  Just saying.

It was a blast.  Unlike her first birthday, Annabel totally GOT that it was her very special day.   After breakfast, we watched “Tinkerbell” on DVD and then went to the mall for a birthday train ride.  After naps, it was the official Annabel birthday party.  She SCREAMED as she drifted through her sea of pink balloons and ran directly to the mountain of pink presents.

She got everything she wanted.   She was beyond excited.  And, of course,  Daddy made her the coolest Hello Kitty cake in the whole wide world. 

She went to bed surrounded by all her new gifts.  She is the quintessential “girly” girl.  She loves tutus.  She loves necklaces.  She loves doll babies and stuffed animals.  She loves purses.  She loves everything pink.  She even screams when she can’t hold the pink corner of the parachute at Gymboree class. I can barely take her shopping at Target anymore unless I remember to avoid any aisle that might have a Hello Kitty item.  (And it’s HARD.  Hello Kitty toothbrushes, toasters, blankets, towels.  That cat is EVERYWHERE.)

I don’t mind.  I love Hello Kitty too.  It’s adorable.  It’s awesome to experience all this fun little girl stuff again.  Annabel calls her “Hi-T.”  She is also saying a bazillion other words and it’s surprising sometimes because Daniel was not a talker at this age.  She knows most of her colors and can count to ten.  She sings her “ABC’s” and loves to ask questions, “Where Daddy go, Mama?”  “What Daniel do, Mama?”  She has the sweetest little high pitched voice and she loves to talk to her relatives on the phone.

She’s a great eater and sleeper, just like her brother, but she still has her moody days.  She usually shuns citrus fruits, but sometimes eats a whole bowl of oranges.  One dinner she asked for THIRDS of broccoli and the next time she would not touch it.  She is very opinionated.  We usually have to wait for the calm after the storm if I accidentally try to help put a piece of meat on her fork.  She doesn’t WANT the help although she really NEEDS the help and that begins a tailspin of drama. But she’s cute when she pouts, so we always have to giggle.

Her head of curls is growing longer and longer and it’s so wild to see her after bath time when her hair is wet and it falls down her back.  But after a few seconds it just springs back up into place.  She now loves barrettes and bows and the occasional headband.  She loves to dress up in “pretty” clothes ESPECIALLY anything pink. She wants to wear her tutu to the park.  She will sit on the floor in her room and play with dolls and read books.  She loves her play kitchen.  But she will still play trains and cars with her brother and she LOVES balls.

She also loves to dance and has some very cute little wiggle moves.  She screams with glee and claps her hands when one of her favorite songs comes on (The classic “Hot Cross Buns” or Metro Station’s “Shake It.”  She has very eclectic taste.) She will also go crazy from time to time and fling her body on the floor if she can’t do something JUST RIGHT.  Or if her brother won’t let her set up a board game.  Or if she has to put on a coat. Or if she’s super hungry.  Or if it’s 11 o’clock. 

With her all craziness comes her cuddliness.  She loves to give hugs and kisses and it’s so heartwarming to hear her say “Tank You, Mama” or “I Wuv you, Mama.” 

I love you too, Annabel.  You are my beautiful two year old princess.