School Days

A great start to the new school year! Georgia had a wonderful first day back on Monday and is looking forward to subjects like Geometry, U.S. History, and ... Theatre! Does her Mommy's heart good to see that. : ) P.E. will wait until next semester, which is a relief since she's already looking at a pretty full schedule, and the more she can rest after a long day, the better. Eighth grade is jam-packed with all kinds of special events, including Cotillion and a trip to Washington, D.C. next summer, so it's going to be an extra-special year.

Let's go STARS!

Ivy started school today - 4th grade, already! This is an extra-special year for her, too, as she moves up into the Upper Elementary program at Parkside. This is our eighth year at the school we love so much, and this spring, I assisted in the Upper El classroom after the previous assistant had to leave in the middle of the year. Well, I had such a great time, I decided to stay on permanently! Now, Ivy and I get to spend the whole day together, and I get to nearly fulfill my long-held dream of being a student at Parkside! The Upper El classroom is particularly sacred to us because that is the room Georgia was in when she was diagnosed and when she made her victorious return to school! So blessed.

Ivy - August 2013

 Georgia - August 2010

To all of our Friends of Georgia who have gone, or are going, back to school, we wish you a peachy year! And as for our girl, she's celebrating 16 months Off Treatment tomorrow - yes!

Back in the Saddle

School starts tomorrow - which means 8th grade for Georgia! She's raring to go, as you can see:

"Modeling" her new tennis shoes.

We're going to play it by ear as far as PE is concerned - if it seems like it's still too much, she can switch her class to next semester. And as soon as she's up to it, you better believe she'll be back in the pool!

Also, just one week away is September and ... Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. As always, throughout the month, we'll tell you about ways to raise awareness, hope, and funds for research, and we would so appreciate your support. Back-to-school time can be especially hard for kids in treatment and for families who have lost their fighters, and our goal is to one day eliminate the need for a month or even a day dedicated to childhood cancer. With your help, we can fund safer, less toxic treatments and, ultimately, cures - so let's get busy this September and CONQUER childhood cancer!

R and R

So even though Georgia didn't get to go to camp, she hasn't exactly been quarantined! She actually had a lovely, restful week with Lolly and Poppa, and Ivy, too, in San Antonio - watching movies, playing games, and, of course, reading! On Thursday, they headed down to the coast for a few days in Rockport. I think the sun and sand agree with both of them - just what the doctor ordered:

I'm sure there will be more tales to tell and pictures to share when they come home on Tuesday. Overall, it's been a wonderful summer, but I know Georgia is excited to get back to school, which starts in one week! She'll have to take it easy for the first month or so, but she's used to that and still manages to keep up with everyone and everything. Who am I kidding? She's usually leading the pack!

Thanks for all the well wishes and notes of encouragement. Our girl is doing great - she really, really is.

Not a Happy Camper

Thanks to mono, Georgia won't be going to Camp Mystic tomorrow. She is understandably disappointed since she enjoys it so much and looks forward to it all year. But looking at the big picture, we didn't want to run the risk of her cabinmates getting sick or having her overdo, in the extreme heat, and jeopardize her return to school in two weeks. When we made the decision with Dr. Neff yesterday, she was upset for a moment, but then wanted to gather treats for a care package for her cabin. That girl. A tough break, for sure, but she's endured much tougher breaks, as you know, and she will bounce back, as always, and be raring to go next year.

Equally bothered by the news was Ivy, so she did what Ivy always does - took care of her sis. She built a tent in her room and opened up Camp Moore, just for Georgia. Activity schedule includes: Beautiful You; Artface(?); Jogging; Rest and Letters; Horseback Riding; Cave Exploring; Dance; Yoga; and "Much Much MOORE!" She is undoubtedly the Superest of SuperSibs.

Georgia's appointments this week went well. She did test positive for the Epstein-Barr Virus, which is the way the vast majority of people get mono, and although she seems to be past the contagious phase, we decided to err on the side of caution and ... well, see above. Her endocrinology labs showed slight but positive movement in the right direction, so we'll continue the Vitamin D and calcium supplements and follow up with another bone density scan in March. At the clinic, her counts were normal, but she has lost 10 pounds in the last month (probably due to, you guessed it, mono), so we'll keep an eye on that, especially since she's growing so much - officially 5'7"! 

So a mixed bag this week, but the true constant is our amazing girl - determined yet flexible, and always, always hopeful. Even when she's faced with rough waters or has to change course mid-stream, she just keeps swimming ...

Speed Bump

Georgia has mono. She's had a sore throat and been pretty fatigued since Saturday, and when her intermittent fevers didn't stop, we went to the pediatrician yesterday to have her checked out. We suspected mono, and sure enough, we were right. Her counts were otherwise good-ish (she's slightly anemic), and we'll get further lab results by Monday. She has an endocrinology appointment Tuesday and a clinic appointment Thursday, so plenty of trained eyes will be reviewing everything - Mommy will make sure of that! For now, rest and fluids are helping, and we'll see what next week brings.

In happy news, Georgia had two pieces published on the Badgerdog student blog, Unbound. One is a poem inspired by another poem, and one is an excerpt from a graphic novel her camp group worked on together - cool stuff! Also, she was invited to do another radio interview for the Make-A-Wish fall fundraising campaign. She had a great time with it two years ago and is honored to be asked to participate again. Recently, we've had many friends making or enjoying their own wishes, so we're always happy to support this great organization!

Looking forward to a restful weekend, and grateful for any thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. Thanks, y'all!