Thursday, May 30, 2013

Reaching for the Stars

Yesterday, MAY 29TH, marked 13 months off treatment for our Georgia Girl! She had a check-up with her "regular" doctor (pediatrician) and got caught up on the immunizations we had to postpone during treatment. She was pronounced "fit as a fiddle" and - yes - TALL! Over 5'6.5" at the moment, and still growing.

Across town, we were enjoying the annual rocket launch at Parkside, and I was remembering bringing Georgia to the launch three years ago. It was the first time she had been back to school in five months, and the hike over to the park was almost more than she could do. But she was so happy to see her friends and was determined to keep going even if we had to rest every few minutes. She launched a cool rocket and smiled and laughed more than she had in many weeks. It was a great day!


We are so thankful that treatment is behind her and a bright future is ahead of her. We are grateful to her team at the clinic and her team right here, The Peachy Keens and all Friends of Georgia! If we could ask for anything else, it would be that all children in the fight against cancer get that same bright future. We want them to have safer, less toxic treatments and, ultimately, cures, and the way we get those things is through research. So in one month, on June 30th, I'll be Shaving for the Brave one last(?) time with the 46 Mommas in San Antonio! I'm busy at work planning the event with a team of Mommas from California to Rhode Island, and everyone is excited to come together to celebrate raising over $1 million for the St. Baldrick's Foundation! Click on the Momma badge below or in the sidebar to make a donation to help CONQUER childhood cancer, and if you're in the area on June 30th, come join us at the Riverwalk for a Texas-size fiesta! Thanks, y'all!


Saturday, May 25, 2013

Arts and Letters

Holiday weekend! Georgia and Ivy will be hitting the pool today, and if the much-needed rain we're getting right now lets up, we'll be enjoying Shakespeare in the Park tomorrow night. Also tomorrow, Georgia is reading one of her poems at the ARS Literary Magazine release party at our favorite bookstore, BookPeople. Each of the pieces reflects one aspect of the ARS mission statement, so Georgia will touch on the "health and wellness" component with her poem, "Ode to a Carton of OJ Sitting in Front of Me":

Oh, Carton,
Your boxy stubbornness and misleading directions frustrate me so.
The tight-lipped mouth,
so filled with greed and possessiveness, preventing me from
quenching my thirst with your treasure.
You squeal, protest, you will not succumb to this longing I have for a drink.
There you stand.
Taunting me with your idiotic smirk continuously focused on my misfortune.
I shall tug and I shall cry and you shall not give in.
Oh, Carton. How I long to open thee! Let me count the ways.

Funny girl. And multitalented, too - here is just a sampling of her art portfolio for the year, including a self-portrait of the artist herself. Pretty cool! But how is it possible that in 11 days, we will have an 8th grader in the house?!
 

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Greatness

In the span of about eight days, Georgia has been recognized as a great artist, poet, leader, and scholar. She received a perfect score on a piece she submitted for an art show and had several poems published in the Ann Richards School literary magazine. 

 Praying Mantis cut from an aluminum can

She was also elected President of the National Junior Honor Society! Oh, and she found out that she's no longer ranked #4 in her class ... she's #2. I mean, really!

We have always known that Georgia was destined for greatness, and the fact that she's accomplished so much in the face of, and in spite of, a cancer diagnosis is such sweet icing on the cake. And being that Sunday was Mother's Day, I believe I'm entitled to brag a bit: My girl is GREAT. So is her precious sister.


Mother's Day lunch with the best gifts ever.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Paying It Forward

Goodness, one week into Georgia's second year off treatment, and we are busy, busy bees! Between the art show, the blood drive, and the lemonade stand, we've raised over $2,000 (and counting!) for St. Baldrick's and helped stock our local blood center with 20+ units of generously-donated blood. And we had a lot of fun, too!

The hambone - sorry, artist - and her work:
"Still Life with Macaroni and Cheese"

"My Little Peony"

"Phoenix Rising"

With our curator, Patty

I always half-expect Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem 
to come tumbling out of the blood bus.


Lemonade in the shade

Healthy and happy.