This weekend went by much too fast, filled with good friends and fun times.

What a treat it was to enjoy our favorite shops and restaurants with our favorite friends.

The kids had a blast playing with each other and running around while their moms laughed the afternoon away.


We took the kids to Wild Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center.

Here they are howling like wild animals!

So much fun!

We had a fabulous time at Camp Arroyo on Sunday. The Taylor Family Foundation sponsored a day of fun in memory of a little girl who was also treated at Oakland Kaiser hospital. http://ttff.org/index.html

We saw our favorite doctor there as well as the many others who have treated Isabel. Isabel was surprised and happy to see an oncologist get into the dunk tank. I pointed him out and said, "oh there's Dr. Bergstrom, he did a spinal tap on you, remember?" An older boy turned around and said with a grin, "he does all of my spinals too!" Moments like those really help us feel supported and understood. Isabel really enjoys the camaraderie among the families. I've found it's important to keep her in contact with others who understand the journey she's made, unequivocally.

I ran into a woman I hadn't seen since Isabel was first diagnosed. I recognized her off the bat, since I vividly remember her reaching out to us and giving us her card when we were introduced in the hospital. When we first met, her toddler daughter had just finished two years of chemotherapy for the same kind of leukemia Isabel had. I was happy to tell her that we have completed our two years of chemotherapy and Isabel is doing wonderfully. She told me her young daughter had relapsed 19 months off treatment and endured a bone marrow transplant. It was scary news to hear and brought home the reality of what we face each day. Her daughter is doing great and is tolerating her mother's donated bone marrow well.

Over lunch I talked with another woman whose daughter is 5 years off treatment and just goes once a year for a check up. I was thrilled to hear that! I can not wait until we are able to say the same. Isabel still goes once a month for a blood draw and check up. The oncologist will follow Isabel closely for the next couple of years, since the highest rate of relapse occurs within two years after treatment. It's a terrifying thought, so hearing of children happily years off treatment really helps me keep positive and optimistic .

There was a ton of fun things to do and see. Isabel and Gabriel hit the ground running once we were there and had a excellent time.

Snow cones at the pool (and a little brother with a squirt gun).

Minature ponies!
Isabel braved the dunk tank. A kid nailed it on the first try and Isabel went down fast.

The zip line.
Corn dogs, ice cream, chocolate milk, popcorn!

Gabriel said, "how many days until we get to go again?" I do hope we can make this an annual event!

Gabriel had the treat of having his Papa teach a cooking lesson to his kindergarten class the other day. Alan showed the children how to make mini chicken wraps. It was a huge hit and the kids were very impressed with his real chef outfit. One little girl was convinced he was the baker from the food network show, Ace of Cakes despite what anyone told her! It was a father/son moment, so I stayed home, but I did manage to catch this post school picture (minus the long apron and tall chef hat).

Here is Isabel with the boys after she got home from school. Even our little dog posed nicely!

Alan went fishing this morning while the kids were at school. We were impressed by his big catch, a 28 inch striped bass.

Alan used bullheads for bait. Our cat was more than curious about them.

Isabel is a pretty good fisher herself. She caught two striped bass just yesterday.


Like father, like daughter!

Today the children's school had it's annual Beach Day! It was great. The weather was gorgeous, t-shirt and shorts weather with beautiful clear blue skies. The event was well organized, totally easy and I was again highly impressed by the school.

The kids wore their own handmade shirts to break them down by class. Gabriel wore his teal shirt that he had made a Gyotaku print on using rubber fish molds and black ink. His class decorated the prints with stuck on googly eyes and glow in the dark paint. Isabel wore a grayish blue shirt that her class had silk screened with a whale print and embellished with fabric paint. They had tye dyed shirts for the 4th graders, the 7th graders did block prints (my fave), etc.

Each class had a big flag on a huge wooden rod that was stuck deep into the sand and you could tell where your group was with just a quick glance. Each flag had been decorated in the same style as the shirts and then signed by all the students in each class. After today it will hang on the classroom wall.

We had a really fun day filled with discovery and sunshine.

Isabel ran around, full of energy, with her girlfriends.

Everyone sat with their class during lunch while each teacher read a book relating to the ocean. We listened to the story of Humphrey the whale who was stuck in the SF bay awhile back.


I was impressed with the activities they had. At one point, Gabriel and Isabel were sitting in the sand painting with watercolors. I love that they brought paint to the beach!

Isabel painted a beach landscape during sunset.


Gabriel painted exploding volcanoes that were put out by the falling rain, which caused smoke clouds and a big rainbow.


Lots of digging discoveries were made.


It's not a beach day without being buried!


Isabel and her best friend found a mermaid.


So creative!

Gabe held a little shrimp (I think).

I wondered how the rule of no one allowed in the water was going to pan out. Turns out it was a non issue. There was so much fun on the beach that no one cared. There were a ton of games to play, long handled shovels to dig humongous holes, fun stuff like a tug o' war, saltine challenge (how many crackers can you stuff in your mouth), jump rope games, hula hoops races, and playing sea weed tubes in a beach band.

The kids loved unearthing these little guys.


Hooray for Beach Day!

Isabel had her off treatment check up and blood draw today. She is five months off of all chemotherapy and doing great! The clinic visit was super fast, filled with good news and as easy as pie, just the way I like it!

Good ol' Gabe came along for the ride since his kindergarten days are just a little too short for me to get back in time to pick him up.


Isabel was all smiles and very talkative with her oncologist, chattering away about her new earrings, her new school and her friends, the beach and anything else that crossed her mind!


Here are the kids waiting while I talked with the oncologist. They were very relaxed and a bit bored, which are all signs of an easy visit!


Then it was time for Isabel's monthly blood draw. What a difference it is these days. We've gotten used to having it done at this clinic, which really helps us feel comfortable. The phlebotomist is so amazingly gentle and proficient that Isabel simply doesn't have time to get worked up before it's over and done with!


Another fast and painless blood draw! With perfect blood counts! Hooray!


After the blood draw we headed home to attend Isabel's best friends' pirate birthday party! They made a cookie cake which was super gooey and good.


They did lots of arts and crafts, had a treasure hunt and climbed trees.


Now it's time for bed. The kids and I are reading the Harry Potter series. We've finished the first book and then watched the first movie. We're nearing the end of the second book and Isabel is telling *me* it's time for bed so we can snuggle up and read another chapter!

Gabriel had his special day at kindergarten last week. He showed off his All About Me Robot that he worked very hard on. One of the questions asked why he was special. Gabriel said "because I'm a SuberSib!"

http://www.supersibs.org/index.html

I'm very grateful for the SuberSibs! organization that supports and honors brothers and sisters of children diagnosed with cancer. Isabel's leukemia treatment may be over, but Gabriel will continue to receive special notes and trinkets in the mail as a Super Sib for years to come.

Gabriel stood in front of his kindergarten class and talked about riding the big zip line at Camp Okizu last summer. I'm appreciative of these wonderful organizations which have impacted Gabriel in such a postive way.


He brought in home made blueberry muffins and ripe cantaloupe slices for snack.


The kids had a lemonade stand this weekend, while we held a garage sale. I caught them checking out their money box. They didn't fare so well this time, but still had a fun day together.