The Pirate Birthday Party

Well, I took Lilly to her classmate, Colin's, birthday party yesterday afternoon from 4:30 - 6:30. If you're thinking this is an ODD time to have a b'day party, so did I! Instead of offering any sort of "dinner" food, there was tons of junk (which the kids LOVED, but all the moms silently resented, I think). They had caramel covered popcorn, a treasure chest cake, chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick, chocolate dipped pretzels, and a cotton candy machine! (Ok, I have to admit they also had a veggie platter, but if you were a kid would you want that?)

This was the party that was moved from last weekend due to rain. Well, it rained again all day yesterday just like it has been for a solid week....

The original invitation stated that the party would be at a neighborhood play ground and would have a bounce house. When I got the voicemail that the party was postponed for a week the mom, Christy, also mentioned that the location of the party would be at their apartment instead of the park. So, in my head, that meant an INDOOR party! I was wrong! Most of the party was held outside! The food was inside.

Their yard was a muddy, swampy pit. Lilly and I both ruined our shoes. They did have the bounce house. Rain was soaking through the roof of it and the entire thing looked slimy and wet. In fact, when any kid emerged from the exit, he would literally slip off of it and onto the concrete sidewalk below! A few kids ended up crying because they would land in an akward position. Not to mention that all the kid's clothes were wet too.

Thankfully Lilly didn't want to go in the bounce house...maybe because all the kids at the party were boys! Not a single little girl from her class showed up. There was an 11-yr old girl (Colin's sister), an 18-month old, and another girl that looked slightly older/larger than Lilly, but she was a neighbor and not a girl from Lilly's class.

On the ride home Lilly told me she had fun, but I think she was just excited that she got a goodie bag to bring home to share with Sophia.

Mommy & Lilly @ Chuck E Cheese

Birthday Parties

Last weekend we had three birthday parties to attend on Saturday...all back to back..beginning at noon. We also had a previously planned church cook-out event for the whole family that I was hosting (from 3-6) at a local park. Due to the rain, we moved our cook-out to my friend's house and luckily the third birthday party was postponed to this weekend (Sunday). It's supposed to be a pirate party with a bounce house and treasure hunt and I'm not sure if they'll be able to pull it off because it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow too!

NOON - 2PM: Chuck E. Cheese...for one of Sophia's classmates, Abby. She turned 5.

2:30 - 4:30: Matthew's house....he's in Sophia's class. He tuned 6. It was a reptile petting zoo party. Will took Sophia while I attended the church party with Lilly.

4:30 - 6:30 TOMORROW: Pirate party at Colin's house. He's in Lilly's class. Turning 4. His mom sent home a note to make a donation to a local charity in lieu of a gift. The girls and I went to the Virginia Beach SPCA last week one day after school and made a donation in Colin's name. We fell in love with a Husky puppy while we were there too.

Anyway, back to last weekend's birthday parties.

Abby's mom found out that Lilly would be coming with us to Chuck E. Cheese for the party so she was included in the fun. That was really nice of them. Elizabeth and Sophia ran around together and Lilly, Will and I tagged behind.

This is Abby. She's a very sick little girl. I want to share a two page letter with you that her mom sent home on the first day of school.

Dear Beach Day AM Kindergarten parents,

Our daughter Abby is in your child's kindergarten class. She also has cancer. Abby was diagnosed with Leukemia, specifically B-cell ALL Ph+. She's currently undergoing chemotherapy and has doctors all over the country tracking her medical care due to the rare and especially serious nature of her particular disease. Chemo and other complications with her treatment will keep her out of class fairly often; however, when she feels well enough, she would like to attend school. We want the same thing. Abby is very excited to be at Beach Manor with her friends when she can.

Abby will share a book with her classmates that she wrote about cancer with the help of her Child Life Counselor at the hospital. Below is the text of the book. It is very basic and we hope it answers some questions that your children will have. We understand that children are naturally curious. When a friend of theirs looks different and misses school frequently, they want to know why. The book's text is:

"Hi. I'm Abby. I like the colors purple, pink and green. I also really like princesses. I am a kid just like you. Cancer is small bad cells inside of me. It only makes me sick. You can't catch my cancer. When you get sick, sometimes you have to take medicine to make you feel better. Chemo is medicine that fights cancer. I need chemo to get better. I will be taking it for a long time. Chemo fights the bad cancer cells but also makes my hair fall out. Don't worry, you're not taking chemo so your hair isn't going to fall out. Chemo can also make me tired and sometimes I get sick easily. Even though I have no hair, I can still play and have fun. My port is how I get my chemo medicine. Some days I will be at the hospital for treatment so I won't be at school. I'll be back as soon as I'm well enough. One day I will be cancer free! Then I won't have to take chemo anymore and my hair will grow back."

Abby will be at school when she is feeling well and her immune system can tolerate it. Please take the same precautions for her as you would for others in the class: when your child is sick, please keep them home from school. And just like all kindergarten classrooms hand washing will be encouraged.
** The one request we have is in regards to Chicken Pox. If you believe your child either has or has been exposed to (e.g. sibling) the virus, please notify us or the school immediately. We can then discuss it with Abby's Oncologists for a risk assessment. Chicken Pox exposure for Abby is extremely serious. **

We thank you for your time and consideration. Please feel free to call or email us with any questions at any time. We are extremely open and comfortable with the topic. It is a huge part of our life now, so there is no need to walk on eggshells. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any concerns or questions. We look forward to a great year at Beach Manor with you and yours!

Sincerely,
.....

Page 2

FAQ:

What is Abby's prognosis?
Unknown. Her leukemia is an extremely rare variety. Until very recently, it was highly fatal. Abby did go to Chicago for a Stem Cell Transplant, but while there Abby was put on an experimental drug that appears to be working very well for her. As such, the Oncologists and Transplant Specialists recommended waiting a bit for the bone marrow transplant. The long term efficacy of Abby's experimental medicine is unknown as it has only been used for her type of cancer for about 2 years now, and not all children get this drug.

Where can I learn more about Abby's disease?
Ask us. We're open and will gladly tell you what we know. If you are he googling type, try: Pre B-cell ALL Ph+". The long version of that is: Precursor B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Philadelphia Chromosome Positive. Our only caution is not to believe everything you read there. Believe us, we're read all of it. Some sites will tell you Abby has no chance, some will tell you Abby is as good as cured. As always, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Wikipedia for "Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia" isn't bad for an opener and toward the bottom, there is a link to "Philadelphia Chromosome" that may be slightly more medically-oriented than you'd like, but is fairly straightforward. "CureSearch.org" is also a very good site.

How did Abby "catch" leukemia?
No one knows how or why some people, especially children, develop cancer. Genetics probably play a role. As a side note, we donated Abby's cord blood to an Oncologist in Europe specifically studying how and why leukemia "turns on" in some kids.

Is it contagious at all?
Nope. Not even a little bit. It would be like catching someone's blue eyes or their blood type. Can't be done.

Is there anything Abby cannot do?
Abby had a port installed, which is a small receptacle under her skin that has a tube running straight to her heart. As such, rugby is not recommended. In all seriousness, she cannot do contact sports. Her energy levels will probably determine what she can and cannot do more than anything else.

Why doesn't Abby have hair? / Will Abby's hair grow back?
Your kids may ask about this - it is our most common child question. Abby's chemo targets, among other things, rapidly dividing cells (like cancer cells). Her follicles, some skin cells and pigmentation fall under this category, too. So it is a normal side effect. When chemo slows down, she may get some hair back. When chemo is complete, she should get it all back.

How long will Abby be on chemo?
God willing, for a total of about 3 years. We say it that way, because the protocol calls for 3 full years of chemo, and we will stay with this experimental protocol as long as it works. Abby is currently in clinical remission. She still has cancer. It is however being managed.

Are you on Caring Bridge?
Yes! Caring Bridge is a medical blog. Go to caringbridge.org and search for Abby Furco if you'd like.

Yep, it's rocked my world as a parent! I can still cry at the drop of a hat when I think about Abby. Sophia and I had a long talk about her and Sophia really didn't ask any questions at all. I just reinforced that she is sick on the inside, but she's taking medicine, etc...

When Sophia found out that Lilly would be coming to the b'day party, she made a comment that Lilly might be scared of Abby (because of her lack of hair, I guess. I waited to see what Sophia would say, but she didn't follow it up with anything).

Abby's not a school a lot. I ask every day... She wasn't there at all this past week because, ironically, Elizabeth's little brother has the chicken pox!

Anyway, the girls had a really good time at the birthday party and I have a feeling that Abby and Sophia are gong to be great friends. That makes me smile.

Pirate Sophia

Sophia begged me for fifty cents today so she could put it into a gumball machine and "win" a set of disgusting fake front teeth. Luckily, she got the set she wanted. She wore them all day and pretended to be a pirate.

She now wants to be a pirate for Halloween. She can't decide between:

Snow White
Rapunzel
Witch
Little Orphan Annie
Pirate

Take our picture, Mom

So the girls have actually been asking me to bring the camera with me when I drop them off at school so I can take their pictures. Here's a few of our better shots.

OUTSIDE:

SOPHIA AND ELIZABETH:

LILLY SITTING AT THE PLAYDOH TABLE:

Punky the Pumpkin Eater

I took Sadie for a walk one morning after I dropped the girls off for school. Actually, I came home and went for a run and heard Sadie barking at me as I ran off down the road. I felt so bad that I had "left" her at home....so as soon as I got back from my run I decided to take her for a long walk.

We were almost home when I saw an enormous spider on the sidewalk. I stopped to take a photo with my phone to show the girls. At the same time Sadie was pulling and pulling on the leash. She had discovered something of her own. A bright orange turtle.

I picked it up, held it out at a full arm's length away from me the entire way home and put it in a box on the deck with some lettuce and grass. I peaked outide and saw the turtle trying to climb out of the box so I decided to put the turtle in the yard under our tree and I placed a laundry basket on top of it so it had room to roam, but wouldn't be able to escape. Sadie tried her hardest to get to the turtle. She started digging at the grass and nosing at the basket. I finally had to send her into the house (where she stood at the door for the next 3 hours waiting to give it another go). I secretly think she wanted to eat the turtle.

When Lilly got home from school we came up with a name for the turtle: Punky the Pumpkin Eater (appropriate considering her pretty color).

Later that night after Sophia had returned home from school and the girls had played with the turtle for a few hours we released her at the lake in our backyard to live with the twenty other turtles that live there. Punky quickly moved on...never to be seen by us again

My school girls

The girls literally rush ahead of me every morning to get into the school before me. Sophia grabs Lilly's hand and walks her into Mrs. Harden's classroom to drop her off before I can even catch up. Lilly doesn't even turn around to look for me. Yesterday I peeked my head in the room to say goodbye to her.

Sophia then marches herself across the hall and digs in her backpack for her red folder and reader to put in the bin inside her classroom. At least she gives me a kiss every day before she heads into her room with her friends.

They both absolutely love school!

Slow dancing

I came downstairs the other day and discovered the girls putting on a show for Will. In reality, it was a slow dance performed by Princess Sophia and her partner, Prince Lilly.

School work

This is what the girls are up to at school so far. The last one is Sophia's page.

Finishing up the first week of school

This is what Lilly chose for dessert on her first day of school: gum, buttons, nerds, and pumpkins. YUCK!

Thursday was the first nice of dance class. They are both taking tap and ballet, but in separate age groups. They will both be in the recital at the end of this year. It was Lilly's first tap class and she was so excited to tell me about it afterwards. I could tell she really enjoyed it. There are probably 5 girls and 1 boy in Lilly's class. Carlie is with her.

Sophia went into her ballet class just fine, but complained of a sore throat throughout the entire tap class. I was waiting in the lobby and I could hear her crying all the way back in the studio! Embarrassing, trust me! So far it's just her and Haley in the class. I hope more join.

The first photo here is Thursday.
Then Friday.

Sophia has already received two birthday party invitations. One for a little girl named Abby (turning 5) and another for a boy named Matthew (turning 6).

Lilly also got a birthday party invitation next week for a boy in her class named Ross.

Ironically all three parties are next Saturday (the 17th).....which is the same day at the FAMILY picnic I'm hosting because I'm the leader of Circle Mary at church.

The girls are already getting excited for Halloween...can you tell?

Lilly & Sophia

Lilly's first day at Beach Manor

Lilly started in Mrs. Harden's 3-yr old classroom today at Beach Manor. She's right across the hallway from Sophia's class.

She was excited to head out the door today. She bounded up the ramp once we got to school, but when it came down to business she was a little reluctant to let me go. I couldn't even stick around if I wanted to because I still had to drop Sophia off in her classroom.

I peeked on Lilly a few times after I said goodbye to Sophia (who walked right in like a big girl and joined the class!) and she was sitting with Mrs. Harden at the table. I think she's going to do just fine.

I asked her if she played with anyone today and she said no. She told me that she was digging for coins in the sand when she played outside. She ate a cupcake today for snack and said there was a party.

When I picked up her in the carpool line she came out with a giant smile on her face, climbed into the car and right into her seat. I looked in her bag and saw that she colored a few apple coloring pages today....and she stayed completely in the lines. I'll have to post a picture of it. It's absolutely amazing! Sophia (age 5) is just now starting to color in the lines! Great job, Lilly!

Junior Bridesmaids & Flower Girls

BEFORE

AFTER

Seeing double...

When you walk into the main entrance of Beach Manor this is the view you see. When Sophia graduates this year, I'm hoping they will give her picture to me.

* Notice Sophia on the wall - top left *
** The wrapping paper samples all over the bulletin board is for their annual fund raiser **

Sophia's First Day of Kindergarten

It's simply bittersweet and I've been crying about it for days. Last night and this morning were especially hard. My precious baby girl started Kindergarten today! Not just 1/2 day Kindergarten, but she's also staying in the afternoon for the extended day program.

On one hand I'm so excited to watch Sophia grow up and develop friendships and explore the world little by little all on her own. On the other hand, I can't believe that she will be gone every day for 6 hours. Six hours that I'm going to miss of her amazing, wonderful, young life.

When I got home from dropping her off this morning (sans Lilly)...I walked into the house and Lilly immediately asked me WHERE'S SISSY? After learning that she wasn't home, Lilly took the opportunity to shut herself into Sophia's room and play with all of her toys! She was in there for a good hour too.

For me, it was the longest day ever! Lilly and I ran some errands and generally just missed Sophia's company all day!

This is Sophia with Mia and Elizabeth (in that order). They were both in her class last year. Adrianna is also in her class again. They've been inseparable for 2 years straight, but only at school. We never do play dates with her and her mom. At dinner she told us that she and Adrianna are still best friends. None of the boys from last year are in her class this year.

We were the first ones in line at carpool. Sophia was beaming from ear to ear when she walked out of the school. She jumped into the car and threw her backpack into the front seat for me to take a look at what she did today! She was really psyched about her day!! I noticed the first thing she told Will about her day was that she got to go outside 2 times. Lucky girl!

She mentioned that she's going to have a book club in her afternoon class. She seems excited to start reading. Last night we dug out her very first reader (Book 1) and she read the whole thing. When she completed preschool she was in Book 6.

Because it was her special day she got to pick what we had for dinner tonight. She picked mashed potatoes, quesadillas and cupcakes. I added a ceasar salad to the mix for Lilly since she doesn't like mashed potatoes. We all enjoyed the "K for Kindergarten" shaped cupcake display.

Last playdate before Kindergarten

We went to the Portsmouth Children's Museum last Tuesday with Haley and Carlie. It was Sophia's last play date with Haley before they both start Kindergarten. Ironically, it was the location of their very first play date together when they were only 1 and 1/2. That was 4 years ago.

The museum has been closed for the last 6 months (at least) for renovations. They renovated a lot of the exhibits and added a few new ones including a "theatre stage" room complete with bins filled with costumes and masks, red curtains, working stage lights, and even a puppet stage. Michelle, Haley and Carlie's mom, and I just sat back and watched them play.

Look how grown they all are. Tomorrow is the big day! First day of Kindergarten....