Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Or: Out of sight, out of mind? I think I like this one best, at least when it comes to snack time for my kids.

Our house was once stocked with sugary treats. It wasn't odd for us to have a bowl of M&Ms in our cupboard, Oreo cookies and fruit chews in the pantry, and a whole host of other not-so-healthy go-to items. Now we have none of it. And while my little boys occasionally search for their old demons, they mostly have adjusted well. They don't crave sweet things any more now that they're gone; they actually rarely mention them. Now I admit they do stake out houses that allow for sweet things when they get the chance but at home, they are content with an apple, a bowl of strawberries, homemade popcorn with just one tiny drop of oil and no butter.

I'm eager to introduce my boys to new healthy snacks so our routine doesn't grow stale. Here are seven ideas I like. You might like them too.

The primary recipient of the 2006 grants for Curing Kid's Cancer is the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. Curing Kid's Cancer is a charity that raises money for leading edge pediatric cancer research. The organization was inspired by nine year old Killian Owen's battle with leukemia. The $100,000 grant was given to Johns Hopkins for research into new targeted therapies for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Curing Kid's Cancer has two national grassroots programs -- Coaches Curing Kid's Cancer and Teachers Curing Kid's Cancer.

The programs fund the development of cutting edge therapies which will revolutionize childhood cancer treatment by replacing traditional chemotherapy.

Curing Kid's Cancer aims to raise both awareness and money to find cures for all types of childhood cancers. Their objective is to turn this killer disease into a curable one in our lifetime.

I never knew how to accurately describe the personality of my oldest child until his preschool teacher told me about her son. The contrary kid, she called him, for his tendency to resist everything that crossed his path. The moment I heard this title, I adopted it and immediately applied it to Joey. It's a perfect fit for this boy, who has spent almost six years embracing disagreement as a way of life.

Yesterday, I picked up Joey from kindergarten and told him he and his brother would play at my sister's house for the afternoon while I went to an appointment. I told him he'd get to play with his cousin on her new swing set and play his favorite motorcycle video game. Three-year-old Danny liked this plan, and was set to instantly jet to Aunt Tracy's house. Joey, however, took his typical against-the-grain approach.

"Nope, I'm not going there," he reported, even though he always has a great time at Tracy's house -- and rarely wants to leave.

Joey's sixth birthday is approaching, and he has been helping me brainstorm ideas for an extravagant pirate party. I asked him recently to help me address the envelopes for his invitations. My plan -- since his teacher says he needs to work on his writing -- was to have him write the first name of each invitee on each envelope. I told him about this project -- he loves projects -- and he said, "Oh, no, I'm not going to do that," despite his love for writing and drawing and creating.

A pediatrician told me when Joey was just three months old and I was concerned he was not a very content baby that a child's personality is carved in stone beginning in infancy. There's no changing it, he told me, just before he advised me to find a way to cope with my not-so-easy boy. He also told me to instill in this delicate boy strategies for coping with a disposition defined by resistance. This coping thing is a work in progress for our whole family. Sometimes we do well -- when we find a balance between occasionally allowing Joey decision-making control and other times calmly disregarding his protests. Sometimes -- when we can't seem to find any sort of balance -- we don't do so well.

I watched a video of Joey last night. He was three years old and just as defiant as he is today. It makes me sad for Joey that he has spent all these years fighting the current of life. It makes me worry that his little insides will one day suffer from a lack of easiness. But I also try to see the bright side of this spirited little boy -- the side experts say may help him when he grows up and can assert himself in all sorts of scenarios.

When faced with peer pressure, Joey may simply put his foot down, say "No," and move on his merry way. He's done this once already -- when preschool classmates laughed at his toenails that were painted orange and blue. When his daddy and I asked how this made him feel, he said, "I don't care. I like my toes." Good for him, his preschool teacher -- the mother of her own contrary kid -- told me. He is very sure of himself, she said.

When my perspective on Joey's temperament is optimistic, I realize my little guy helps me stay strong. Ever since I was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, Joey has helped me resist the tendency to feel sorry for myself and give in to weakness. He reminds me to adopt my own contrary view on cancer -- to resist the notion that cancer will limit my life possibilities. When I doubt myself, he senses it and tells me, "You can do it, mommy," and "You are tough." And just the other night, following a family dancing frenzy at his Nana's house, he told me, "I love you, babe."

I love you too, Joey. You are one heck of a contrary kid.

Note: Joey did go to his Aunt Tracy's house to play. He had a marvelous time. He did not help me address the envelopes.

Former contestant Elliott Yamin was the third runner-up on the most recent season of American Idol. But he comes in first place for 19-year-old fan Amanda Jones whose dream after her diagnosis with leukemia was was to meet Yamin. Her dream came true this weekend when she got the chance to meet Yamin backstage at the "American Idols Live" tour in Richmond, Virgina -- Yamin's hometown.

Jones, from Jonesboro, Arkansas, is such a fan of Yamin's that in May she camped out at Graceland in Memphis just to catch a glimpse of him when the top Idol contestants were visiting the former home of Elvis. Now that she knows Yamin a bit better, Jones feels a real connection with him. "He's my hero. He went through so much in his childhood, struggled through so much, and in the end, he came out on top. That's what I pray and hope I can do," she said.

Yamin, 28, is no stranger to health concerns. He suffers from Type 1 diabetes and is also deaf in one ear -- as a result of repeated childhood ear infections and an ear-drum replacement surgery at the age of 13 that just didn't work out right. Still, he overcame his obstacles and has made a name for himself as a talented singer. Jones wants to overcome her obstacles too. For now, though, she is just happy Yamin helped her forget for a moment that she is a kid with leukemia.

I'm not much of a camper -- vacationing in an RV is the closest I've come to camping really but I wasn't much for that so the rougher, tougher version of camping is not what I've set my sights on. But if I was a kid -- and I had cancer -- I think camping might peak my interest.