A blessed Christmas

Christmas was awesome this year. We spent Christmas Eve at my aunt's house playing Rock Band. Then we went to my Grandad's where I have been every Christmas Eve for the past 32 years. Summer racked up on gifts: Play dough Fun Factory, moon sand (yikes!), pinball video game, a stuffed monkey, two books, a puzzle and an outfit. She wanted to play with the moon sand when we got home, but it was bedtime seeing that Santa was on his way. We quickly made some chocolate chocolate chip cookies for Santa and left him (or should I say her) a glass of milk....which was later consumed in a much more interesting beverage. :)

When she awoke around 6:00 a.m., she came into my room. I hopped out of bed seeing that I hadn't really slept all night waiting for her to get up. LOL I gave Daddy a few "gentle" reminders to get up NOW. I remember last year she had to wait on him to get up and wasn't going to let that happen this year. Especially since Santa left a CAT under the tree. I ran and cut on the video camera. When she walked into the dining room and towards the tree, the cat went "Meow." She looked at me. "Meow." She said, "Was that your camera?" Then it did it again. "Maybe it was my Zhu Zhu pet." After another meow, she decided to look and see what was under the blanket. Boy was she surprised. She didn't ask for it, but she got it anyway. She LOVES the cat and (thanks to Paw-Paw) now has what she never thought she'd get. She calls the cat Thomas and is anxious to go visit him again. We've already been once since Christmas. She loves to dance & jump with him. And, to drag and/or carry him around the house. It is cute, but you kind of start feeling sorry for the cat after a while. I must say that the cat really is dealing well with all of the attention he gets from Summer. It's not all torture and it is really all done out of pure love so he must somehow sense that.

Back to Christmas morning....so, after the cat was out of the box (hahaha), she went to the next blanket which was an electronic scooter. Then she went to the big bag of presents from Santa. She took all nine boxes out of the bag before opening any. Then she went to town. In the end, she had pretty much the whole hamster city and two new hamsters, of which she gave me one. :) We put it together and played with it for a while before heading out to my mom's for breakfast, gifts and games. There was no electricity, but it was still a fun time for all and a Christmas we will never forget. Summer left there with a few games, a Princess tent, a dress-up trunk, and a Snow White doll she can dress up. Once home, the playing continued.

That night, Amanda and Lexie came over for our Christmas with them. Summer didn't want Lexie playing with her new Zhu Zhu pets. Why is it that kids don't want to share their new stuff? Of course, she didn't really want Thomas playing with it Christmas morning either. She got some really cool letters that spell her name from her sister. We painted them yesterday and today and will have to figure out where we are going to put them. She really enjoyed the painting process, although she was a little upset that we only had pink paint. She was really wanting some variety for some reason. Speaking of letters, I have told her that we are going to start working on writing letters when her Daddy's treatment is done so she can learn how to write them. She told me she already knows how to write them. I told her that we will just practice then. Then, she told me she already knows how to practice. LOL Should be fun to tackle that, but I think we really need to since I am not planning on putting her in school until kindergarten. I just don't want to miss anytime with her. Of course, I do see a few classes in her future. I know she'll be just as excited as I am about them. Sunday she went to her first official Sunday school class without me. I think she stayed almost the whole class (they were playing games). I was in the nursery next door and when she came in, I asked her why she wasn't still playing games and she said the game was too long. LOL

Here's hoping the new year ahead is a good as this year. I know I've said it before, but despite all the cancer crap, we are blessed. I have so many great memories with Summer from the past year. She truly lights up my life, and I pray I am the mother she deserves.

A little talk

Summer is all dressed for tonight. It went a lot easier than I had anticipated. She had two dresses to choose from. Instead, she chose the dress she wore in her professional Christmas pictures last year. It fits and is very pretty so I saw no reason to dispute. She picked red tights over the black capris I picked. The shoes were a tough one because both of the black pairs in her room are too big. But, I finally found the ones she wore last year in the get rid of pile in my laundry room. She's lucky I didn't get rid of them already because Clint took a big box to Goodwill a week or so ago. Anyway, she is dressed and her teeth are brushed. We just had some chocolate covered pretzels that we made today. I hope all the chocolate is out of those back molars, but I'm not certain because we brushed her teeth in the dark. I'm too lazy to get up and turn on the office light right now. We've had Christmas movies playing pretty much all day, but then I cut it off because I was ready for a nap. That obviously isn't going to happen because she isn't tired and it is too late to bother at this point. Rock Band is calling our names.

After she got ready, she was talking about how pretty she was. Yes, she is confident about her looks. Somehow Clint going to the hospital came up and she said, "Yeah, I heard you talking." She seems perfectly okay with being away from us. She understands the hospital is far away since she went with us the other day. It was not a pleasant day and I am sure she never wants to go back to that place. She will be in the ever capable hands of Memaw and Nanny. Plus, she may get to visit her friend Willow and cousins some too. It is crazy because despite all of the holiday comings and goings, reality is still there. Daddy has cancer. Too her, it is no big deal. She had cancer too. And, she's fine. We are not dwelling on the fact that we are fighting what seems to be a never-ending war. We are making the most of our days. Living in the now.

Tonight a special visitor will come and brings lots of smiles to children across the globe. That is what we are focusing on in the now. That and the fact the God is the reason we have it all. I am so thankful for all the many blessings we have despite it all. Remember the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas! Enjoy your family!



P.S. Did I mention she loves to sing Christmas songs? Here's one I just heard: "Jingle bells, taco shells...." :)

"A fun sleepover"

We made our yearly trip to the Opryland Hotel this week. Summer sent Santa an email and received one in return. Looks like she is on the nice list so far. :) She was very tired from a long day at the Dr.'s office with Daddy, but she did manage a smile for me in front of the big poinsettia tree.

She was anxious to ride the horse drawn carriages, but we had to wait. So, we made our way to the train and she was the conductor on her ride.

After that, we headed out to the carriages where she took this picture.

She insisted in sitting on her own seat (at least for the first half of the ride). She points to things we need to look at...so excited!

Afterwards, she pets the horse who gave us the ride.

Her favorite part of the trip was the pool and hot tub. Not sure how she managed to get in the floor, but it was really not a long wait for the elevator.

We went into the Opry Mills mall for lunch and discovered the most awesome carousel in the world. It had spinner on it. So, not only were we going around in circles, but we were spinning too! Yep, she LOVED it!!!! So much, that we had to ride twice. Lucky me....

Of course, I think she could've stayed on it all day. Can't say the same for myself.

We went to ICE which was Charlie Brown themed and VERY cold! She cried before we went in because her hands were too hot....we weren't going to have a repeat of last year where she was so cold she couldn't wait to get out. She had on tights and pants, a long sleeve shirt and two jackets and a hot. I didn't hear any complaints this year although my hands were freezing so I imagine hers were too. She loved the ice skating Snoopy.

She did get on the slide this year, although the first time she went down she had to scoot herself because her pants were sticking to the ice. The second time, I had her lay down so the coat would let her slide faster. It worked. Mommy's are so smart!

The elf did manage to bring Summer a surprise even though we were not home.

And today, she got her first make-up set. Thankfully, it is 95% lip gloss. She did rather enjoy the body glitter and even has sparkly hair today.

We are all ready for Christmas. The stocking are out. The presents are almost all wrapped. We just need to make some cookies for Santa, but we will do that before bed. We are cheating and using refrigerator cookies. It will be a busy day and I don't think Santa will mind. Especially, if I'm the one who will really end up eating them. :)

Merry Christmas to all!

Clean hands?

Yesterday, Summer and I had this conversation in the car.

Me: Are you licking your hand?

Summer: It tastes good.

Me: Oh, ok.

Then she licks the other hand.

Summer: Well, the other one doesn't taste good.

I don't know what is up with the hand licking, but yesterday was not the first time. The other day I told her to get her hands out of her mouth because they were dirty. Then she licked them both thoroughly and replied, "They're clean now!"

Oh well, at least she has high counts and can fight off any minor germs that might be on them. Of course, I don't want her to end up sick. She's had a runny nose on and off the past few weeks, but nothing that has slowed her down for any amount time. Maybe if I keep her hands germ-xed she will keep them out of her mouth because she does NOT like the taste of it. Now, where is that germ-x at?

Christmas is in the air

The days are flying by and before we know it, Christmas will be here. We had Christmas with my dad's side of the family last night. Summer loved her presents: a light-up gingerbread train decoration, a Glow Station, an Etch-a-Sketch, and a sand art/stained glass kit. She enjoyed the last one so much, that she decided to spend the night with my cousins Alexandra & Tyler since they were helping her play with them. That was a first for her. Hope she let them sleep last night because when I left around 10:30, she was still in full GO mode. :)

Daddy played football with her and Jonathan

My Granny with her 3 great grandkids.Four generations...only one not looking.

One of our neighbors gave her a gift yesterday which she loved. He had a little direction from me since he asked what to get her. I had the perfect idea for him. She had seen this family of cats (Calico Critters) at the toy store across the river and just about begged me for them. I didn't buy them because they were expensive ($21.99 for 4 little, furry cats), but looks like she got them anyway. Now, she said they need a house. I told her she could use her other doll house and she told me "it doesn't have a swing and slide." Oh my, it will never be enough with her it seems. :) Maybe her birthday will bring her those accessories because I am all shopped out for her right now. But, she was happy with them and toted them to my aunts last night. She loves to take a toy with her (besides Teddy) pretty much everywhere we go. Teddy is a must because if she gets sleepy or upset, she needs him and her thumb. White bear is still in the car from accompanying us somewhere the other day. I figure I'll leave him in there until she asks to bring him up because several times we were on our way somewhere when I was informed we forgot him (or is it her?).

Her hair is starting to look a little darker now. Not sure if it is just the length or if her blonde curls are gone for good....or at least until she is old enough to choose to dye them. She won't have that option until she is a teenager though. I don't think she will care what color it is anyway. I don't either, but I am anxious to see what the texture will be now. I do miss that smooth head though. It was so kissable.

Here are some more pics from this past week:

Summer with Mickey Mouse at Make-A-Wish party

The magician made her a pink dog hot without even asking. Perfect!
She got to help with a magic trick!

Making Little Debbies (her gift from the Make-A-Wish party).

Look what the elf brought....

Tinkerbell Pjs!

She is really into bubble baths now so she had to rinse the bubbles off before she could get out.

9 Days....

On the second day of Christmas, Summer's elf brought her a Santa gumball machine. She liked it and has been using her money to get the gumballs out. Today, she got some workbooks (letters, math, counting and colors). Now I just need some patience to go through them with her. Anybody got an extra box or two? :) She is really loving the elf bringing her surprises everyday. She is curious how he comes to life though. Must be Christmas magic! LOL

Last night was Summer's last Christmas party. It was on the riverboat, and we all enjoyed it. Good food, friends, Santa, magic show - what more could we ask for? We even got the pics with
Santa right away this time! The night before was the Make-A-Wish party at the Discovery Museum. It was also a lot of fun. That night she got her picture made with a Mickey Mouse Santa. Also, got that pic before the party was over - AWESOME! She enjoyed them both (as did I), but I am glad they are over. Now we only have family get togethers left.

We went shopping yesterday....for others. Of course, she saw a Littlest Pet Shop toy that she begged for the whole time we were in TJMaxx. I was strong though and did not cave. We were in giving mode, not receiving. She picked out a gift for her brother and her Nanny. She came up with the ideas of what to give them all by herself. Of course, I won't share what they were on here, just in case they are reading. Today, we went again, but she was treated because I was distracting her from wanting to go to the "airport" (really court). So, I told her I would get her a surprise from Walgreens since we needed to go there anyway. She ended up with a big, soft white bear. Just what she needed.....I also ran in ToysRUs to finish up her Zhu Zhu pet tunnel accessories which will be from Santa. She has not asked him for anything but Zhu Zhu pets. Thank goodness! We both scored some new shades in the mall. She met a little girl at the playground and on the way to the car told me they were friends. Too cute. If she sees her again, she says she will "tell" (she meant ask) her what her name is.

She has been eating really good, but not as often as before - thank goodness! Her weight was only 35 pounds on Monday (compared to 37 three weeks ago). That is still great though.

She is currently running around in her panties because she is "sweating." Oh to have her energy again.....of course showering might be needed more often with all the sweating. LOL

Tonight is the Christmas play at church. She is not planning on performing, but maybe she will on a last minute whim. No pressure here because I would just as well like to have her sitting by my side to watch it. Plus, then I don't have to stress about her getting up in the middle of the play and saying she is thirsty. It should be entertaining however it turns out.

The 1st day of Christmas

...a day late! Only 11 days until Christmas.

Summer did not start off on a good note with her elf. When I left for church Sunday morning, he had a present for her. But, by the time we had gotten home he had hidden it again. She really wanted it the rest of the day, but her name was scratched from the good list as she refused to practice for the play at the last practice Sunday morning. At first she was cooperative, but that quickly changed. My, oh my, it was so frustrating. I had already laid out the good girl groundwork and it went up in smoke, just like the present.

I am really having somewhat of a time getting her to understand who is in control around here. Unfortunately for her, it is not usually the 3 year old. I know it will take some time as she was used to getting her way most of the time for the past year. It's not her fault, she just has to be reprogrammed per say. Lately, at bed time, she will complain of her belly hurting and give me a hard time about going to bed (not sleepy, not done playing, wanting to watch a cartoon, hungry). A lot of times that is cured by letting her sleep with me until Daddy comes to bed. No big deal. But, there are times when Daddy and I are ready for bed and she is not. A few times, I have let her stay up for a while. I am going to break her of the habit though because she needs her sleep and gets up at around the same time (7:30) regardless. Naps sometimes are the problem... especially those pesky late afternoon naps. If only life could be perfect.....

This morning Summer's elf had recovered the present and she was happy to find him sitting on top of it. What a great way to start the day -- smiling! All day long yesterday, she wanted to look for it and see if she could find it. Not to actually open it, but to see what was in it. LOL When she opened it this morning, she found a Rudolph lightup shirt and several pairs of light up socks (thank you clearance rack after Christmas last year!). She loved them and wore some of them today.

She's been on the nice list all day so far. She had an appointment at the clinic for her monthly anti-biotic. That went pretty good. I don't think there were any tears during the port process, but she definitely did not enjoy it. All of her counts were up which is obvious just by looking at her and seeing the bundle of energy she has become. High, high numbers which all pleased me and Dr. Gratias very much. She played with the lots of kids today and was not clingy at all. When the IV finished up, she was ready for a nap though so we sat and rocked in a non-rocking chair. Then food appeared and it was like the light came back on and up she went. She had some of a brownie and a fudge round. Healthy, I know. Then she got a piece of chocolate cake for the road (hope Daddy gets to it before I do). She's helped with Christmas cards and is now letting me blog. :) Looks like the elf just might find another gift for her tonight!



P.S. I am not happy with my camera at all. Blurry, blurry, blurry. Hope Santa brings me a new one early!!! Or, maybe I'll just run to the store myself.

18 Days and counting

Last night, I wrapped some of Summer's presents so that I will be ready for the 12 days of Christmas. Yes, it's a go. I have picked up so many small things throughout the year and even found a few left from last year that she did not open. I am so excited to be ready for all 12 days. Even more excited to see her face. I have warned her that after Christmas we are going to lay off the presents and toys until her birthday. I hope she doesn't go into shock. LOL That's not really funny, but this is the point where life has brought us and we are managing well, in my opinion. She is a well adjusted and mannered child to have received all the spoiling she has over the last 9 months. She has been testing me a little lately, but I am not backing down. When I say something, I mean it. No wishy-washy parenting from me. She is a good girl though. Truly. She does not destroy or do devious things. When she spills or messes something up, she generally fesses up right away. How in the world did I get so lucky?

When she got back from her sleepover with Memaw this morning, we made the gingerbread house in the picture. It was lots of fun. First, she helped me make the icing. We had a small mishap when she started dumping the measuring cup of warm water into the bowl. We only needed 3 tablespoons and I don't know how much we got in there, but we dumped a lot out and still had to add lots more powdered sugar. No big disaster though. Summer mixed it with the electric mixer for most of the 2 minutes. Then she wanted a beater. Then she wanted the spoon. :) By the time it was thick enough (tooth paste consistency), she was ready to decorate. She did the roof all by herself. Then she helped me with the small bead-like candies. After we finished, she picked out the perfect spot for it by the tree and a few reindeer. She likes to make decisions. Her dad even says she's bossy at times. I say she's just a girl who knows what she wants. Either way, we love her to death and would do anything for her.

Lord, let your light shine!

"It's Christmas!"

This morning we arose to snow falling. When I told Summer, she said, "It's Chrismas!" :) It was cute. So, we bundled up and headed out to play in it before it melted (sure enough it's 90% gone now). It was fun. The snow was perfect for snow balls. Summer's gloves were not the water proof kind so her hands got cold. I gave her my leather ones and everytime she threw the snow ball, a glove fell off. I made some snow angels on the bridge which she thought were neat, but didn't follow suit.

We've already flipped Christmas countdown to 19 (but now that I look at the calendar I realize it's 20). We've got two Christmas parties today. Summer got another invitation in the mail yesterday. After today, we have 4 Christmas parties and 2 birthday parties before the 15th. WOW! We are busy little socialites over here. It feels good to be enjoying life and not worrying too much (about Summer anyway).

Her hair is very visible now and still blonde as can be. She felt her eyebrows yesterday. I am going to miss the bald head a little though. It was just so shiny and smooth...and tear-free due to the lack of hair (and thus tangles). I wonder if she will get her wavy, wild hair back. Only time will tell.

For now, life is good. We have enjoyed the company of Lexie for the past few days. Summer does really good with her and is learning that it is okay if Lexie messes her toys up a bit. Lexie has done a good job clearing out the last of the stage 3 baby food we had left from Summer....and the rest of the size 3 diapers.

Here are some pics from the last week. We are living it up over here!

Summer was really smiling for the camera in this pic with our tree. She LOVES the Nativity!

Her cake was awesome at the party they had for her at the clinic.

Princess Summer is done with chemo. Her main Dr. is the tall guy behind her.

All bundled up and headed to to the mall.

Liliana and Summer ride the train.

Rock City was a blast for Santa's elves.

Lexie drives at the mall.

Summer, Lexie & Clint ride the train.

Our snowman.

She loved this flower.

Happy Holidays to you all! Hope you enjoy each and every day!

A day at the mall

Yesterday, Summer and I met up with some friends at the mall. We got there a little early, so we stopped by the jewelry store to see what they had. There were several things Summer liked, but we didn't get anything because I knew we had to come back later to shop for hairbows with our friends. Not for Summer, of course. She might wear a headband, but not for too long. Her bald head is rather slippery and she just doesn't really care to wear them very often. Anyway, we headed to the indoor playground to meet up with Alicia, Liliana and Laila. On the way, we stopped to get an angel off of the Salvation Army tree. I wanted to get a 3 year old girl, like Summer, but there weren't any so we got a 2 year old. It was fun shopping for her, although it did call for a bit of running around. After the playground and train ride, we went to Build-a-Bear to get some accessories for Teddy. Summer had a gift card from someone at my dad's work and $10 from a lady at church and a $5 coupon. So, we really only had to spend $2 of our on money on an outfit, a couple pair of panties, hair bows and a snuggie for Teddy. Deal!

After that we headed to Santa. The girls just sat on his lap to tell him what they wanted. We didn't even get pics taken because I am waiting to see if I am getting a voucher for free pics at our breakfast with Santa in a week or two. Those pics are expensive this year! I went to a different mall for pics last year, and I don't think they were quite this expensive. But, you gotta have the pic with Santa. And, he don't work for free, ya know! Summer is going to have her fair share of Santa run ins this season. Last night, we were at Rock City and she sat in his lap again. She keeps asking for Zhu Zhu pets. The first Santa had heard of them, but the second Santa must just have started because he look puzzled. :) As for the dart board, she now is saying her Daddy is getting it for her. Good luck getting him to shop! :) Although, I am already preparing Summer to take her Daddy their so they can get me something. LOL Unlike him, I am not hard to shop for. That must be where Summer gets it.

We found a few cute outfits on sale for our angel at the mall. Then, we headed to ToysRUs to browse the toys. Surprisingly, we did not buy anything there. I already pretty much knew the toys I was going to get were coming from WalMart anyway. I was looking for an electronic (or "electraconic" as Summer says) puppy or kitty. Summer found the perfect one for her. No, not the angel. For Summer. LOL I ended up getting two. One for the angel, and one for Summer. Yep, I'm a sucker. But, they were only $9 which is a deal compared to the $50 cat she has. Plus, we can't have a real dog. By the end of the year, we will have a house full of electronic pets! I must say batteries are cheaper than pet food. And, the toy pets are a lot easier to clean up than poop. :) Summer already loves her dog, Patsy. Patsy got a present from under Summer's tree this morning..."early" she told me. I imagine she is referring to her gift for her real dog. She plays with Leah, too, all the time. She is now snuggled up on pillows in Summer's floor, covered in blankets and wearing the princess tiara Summer got at her no more chemo party on Monday.

After we got all the gifts, we ran back to the mall to turn it in. We also picked up a gift I had seen earlier on our trip that I regretted not getting for a friend. I guess the Christmas spirit is stirring around here. Maybe we'll spend the day wrapping up gifts and listening to Christmas music. I'd love for Summer to learn the Christmas carols I grew up singing. Tonight, I am planning on taking her to church to practice for the children's Christmas play. Maybe if she can learn the songs, she'll get up on the stage with the other kids. Fingers crossed.