Thirteen!!! Yup. We have a TEENAGER! 03/18/09

Dearest Friends and Family,
Well, the pictures tell it all. She's beautiful. She has LONG hair. She's been busy. AND, she's thirteen.
In early February, she gave her annual speech for the Pennies for Patient's Campaign for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Downey High School is one of the largest contributors to this campaign and Cookie has been giving speeches there for 6 years now. The student body LOVES her and treat her like a STAR. It's quite fun and very moving every single time. I wish everyone of you could go with us and watch and listen. Not just to Cookie but listen to all of the speakers and the reception that they're given at this high school! You really do ROCK Downey High!!!

At this year's event at Downey High School, they had an upcoming new star speak. His name is Simon. He is the co-star of a Nickelodeon movie that just came out called "Spectacular". His story goes like this....Both his mom and his dad were married before. They actually met while BOTH of their spouses were in the hospital for leukemia. Both of their spouses passed away and Simon's mom and dad kept in contact with one another. They eventually got together, dated and got married and had Simon. When Simon was 10 years old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He had always loved singing and while he was still under treatment, he went to an audition and got the part. He's been singing and acting ever since. He's now 23 and this movie is his first big acting and singing roll. ALL of the girls at the high school were yelling and screaming and he was so impressed with Cookie. He told her he was in "her house" and she was the STAR. It was quite a morning at Downey High School.

Through the Leukemia Society, Cookie was invited to participate in an autograph signing the following Saturday with Simon and his co-star, Victoria. We went to the Westfield's Mall in Century City to the Limited Two/Justice Store. There were photographers and kids all around and during all of this they told Cookie to pick out whatever clothes she liked and try them on. They were giving her a shopping spree! She was so embarrassed and so excited! It was a lot of fun! That's one of the pictures with Simon and Victoria.

The family has been really busy CAMPING too. We have a travel trailer now and we camp at least once a month. Mostly at Dockweiller State Beach but the family ventured out to Puddingstone RV Resort in San Dimas in January. That's where the other pictures were taken. That's Cookie's cousin, Keli, posing with Cookie on the picnic table! They had a wonderful time and are looking forward to going back.

For Cookie's thirteenth birthday, she wanted to go to the happiest place on earth...again. This time, we made reservations for the Anaheim RV Resort and took the trailer. It's 2fer Time, buy admission to one park, you have 30 days to return to the other park. We chose to do it all in one weekend. We started on Friday, parked the trailer in our spot and took the shuttle to Disney's California Adventure. We had so much fun! LOVE Soaring Over California, LOVE California Screamin', LOVE the tortilla factory! Lots of laughs and lots of walking. Took the shuttle back to our "resort" and slept like babies! Aunt Shannon and Uncle Johnny took off work to join us so we had a full trailer and it was a great time since we all don't get to be together like we used to.

Next morning, had breakfast and took the shuttle to Disneyland. The weather was perfect. We went on every ride that we wanted to. We took the monorail over to Downtown Disney and had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. It's a bit of a tradition. I think we've been doing it for about 3 or 4 years now. We go there for the coconut shrimp (Cookie's favorite) but this time it just wasn't up to par. Matt got a hair in his stir fry and Cookie and Aunt Shannon got shrimp that hadn't been properly cleaned. That's all I'll say about that. They were so grossed out. We figured it's a sign of the times.

Disneyland has a new monorail. It's red and silver and it's beautiful. We were allowed to sit in the very front (you have to have permission) with the "pilot". It's all glass and you can literally see everything.....even the pigeon that we hit on the tracks. Not pretty but it happened so fast we really couldn't react. It's not like they'd stop the monorail to shoo them away. The pilot was very engaging. He asked Parker what his name was and when Parker said "Parker", the pilot pushed a little button on a special cell phone he had at the same time and it said "blah blah blah". Parker thought that was pretty funny.

We closed the park and took the shuttle back to our resort/trailer. We were pooped out but it was BIG fun. We were so pooped out that both Parker and I played hookie on Monday and slept in until almost 10:00am! That's pretty darn late for both of us. I guess being that happy all weekend really takes a toll on you.

Of course, the "birthday that wouldn't end" continued until the actual day, Wednesday, March 11th. We had dinner with a group of our closest friends and it was so heartwarming and fun. They've been by our side since Cookie's last relapse in 2005 and it was so appropriate to celebrate her 13th birthday with them. They're our camping buddies too so it seems we're just one HUGE family.

About Cookie.....She's doing wonderfully. She's happy and content. She feels pretty good and looks beautiful. Beautiful face, her skin is better and she's got a head of beautiful curly hair!! It's so long she can wear a pony for the first time in her life. She's devoted herself to her schoolwork this year and has been working really hard to keep up her grades (all A's except for math). She gets her growth hormone injection every day and I think she appears a little taller but her feet are definitely growing. She's wearing a size 7 in women's shoes now. She just handed down a gently used pair of Nike's to Aunt Shannon who wears a 6 1/2. Isn't that funny? Cookie doesn't think so. She's afraid she's going to look like a hobbit with gigantic feet. hahahaha

She went snow skiing with an organization called the Sunshine Kids. She took ski lessons and fell in love. She can't wait to do it again. I wish I could go with her. It used to be one my favorite things to do but those days are gone. I'm really proud of her participating in so many different things.

She's looking forward to starting tennis lessons again. She knows her body better than anyone and will rest when she needs too. The classes were all full so we have to wait for the next go-round.

I just committed all of my blogs to a cd and I was reading some of my entries. It brought the flood of memories right back. WoW. Have we ever come a long way. Life goes on. Nothing and no one can stop it or even slow it down. Our babies are mommies and daddies and we're the older generation. Their babies are teenagers and so on and so on. We're so very thankful for where we are and all we've been through. Thank You to all of you who continue to support us and love us and read this blog. It's been an adventure, hasn't it?

Sending my love,
Cookie, The Grandma

HOLIDAY TIME 11/07/08

Helloooo Out There! 09/

Dearest Friends and Family,
Don't know if anyone is still reading the blog but I'm writing today just in case. SOOOOO much has happened since I last wrote. I'm not sure where to begin. I'll try to pick up where the last blog left off.

PHOTOS: PAL Luncheon in 05/08; Four Cousins in the Airport, 07/08; Cookie Comes Home From Camp, 07/08; Cookie Doing What She Loves, 08/08

The May 5th speech at the "Parents Against Leukemia" (PAL)luncheon in Woodland Hills was a HUGE success! They raised $100,000.00!!! Unbelievable! COOKIE, Shelee and I were treated like royality, paraded around and introduced to sooo many wonderful women and supporters of the "cause". They held a tennis tournament in the morning, followed by a beautiful luncheon. They used the plates that COOKIE had designed as the trophies for the winners of the tournament. COOKIE gave a four page speech, sharing her story with conviction and humor and it literally brought the house down. There were tears and cheers and all in all it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. We walked away with goodies and gifts and plates and plants and a heart full of gratitude for the love that was shared. There were about 400 people in attendance. They've invited COOKIE back next year to speak once again. It was a very stimulating experience for all of us.

Parker Boy turned 7. We took the Amtrak to Legoland and had a really good time. I'm thinking the train ride is the most fun of all. I'm also thinking that we're done with Legoland for a while. :) On the train ride home, Parker lost his first tooth. He hadn't even told anyone that it was loose. He just plucked it out of his mouth and handed it to Shelee. What a funny guy.

Parker can't believe that school is out and he's going into the 2nd grade! He's quite proud of himself! He's reading very well and still pounding away on his drums. He's actually reading music as well. It's so cool to see desire and talent unveil itself. Parker is a funny guy though. He doesn't like to show you what he knows. He pounds away when you're watching and when you don't quite pay attention, he'll inadvertently show you what he's learned. He's capable of playing quite well when he concentrates on it. He did the same thing when he started reading. He wouldn't do it on demand but he'll read every sign and every book cover and television ad when you're not paying attention (as far as he knows anyway!).

Parker now has his own bedroom. Please shoot us if we talk about remodeling....ever again! What a nightmare! Thank goodness the worst is over. We now have a 4 bedroom home and the new bathroom is beautiful as well. Painting was fun....not.

Shannon and Shelee should start their own painting business. They've worked soooo hard and have been so organized. Matt takes care of all details and there's a ton to be handled, that's a fact. He's the follow up-compensation man. He works the "heavy equipment" and hangs the stuff on the walls. And, as far as I can tell, he's really a good sport about letting us women tell him what to do!! (thank you, Matt-Chew) Thank God Matt is home for the summer. We couldn't have done everything we needed to do without him and his anal, picky, particular protocol and his keen eye. This little family worked it's butt off transforming our home into a beautiful living space. We still have some painting to do but the really hard stuff is done. Just in the nick of time too. We reached our stopping point on Thursday, 6/26. the next day......

My grandson, Bradlee, from Oceanside got picked up at the Amtrak station in the am on 6/27 and my granddaughter, Ashley, from Reno, got picked up at the airport in the pm on 6/27. Ashley and Bradlee grew up together in Reno and haven't seen each other in about 3 years. That's a long time when you're a kid. We surprised Ashley at the airport because she didn't know Bradlee was going to be with us. It was non-stop from that moment on. Had a very busy, very fun packed 10 days with all of the kids. Shelee, Shannon and Matt did not let a single blade of grass grow under any of their feet. The beach, the pool, water park, shopping, playing, laughing. It was exactly how a vacation should be. It was very hard to say good bye to the "cousins" but off they went in their respective opposite directions.

The following week, COOKIE went to Ronald McDonald Summer Camp for SEVEN (7) days!!! She was completely confident that she was going to go and overcome her separation anxiety and have a blast! Well, she did just that! Seven days with not talking or seeing her, except on the camp website. One of the girls she met lives in Redondo Beach and they were together in the cabin. All 9 girls in the cabin were wonderful and fun and they all got along. It was a wonderful experience this time around. COOKIE is sure she will participate in all Camp Ronald McDonald activities, including going to winter camp again. One of the highlights of the camp experience was the 50 foot tower. The campers were attached by ropes and pulleys and they actually climbed (one at a time) up the tower and in and out of the tower, all the while their fellow campers are down below cheering them on. At the halfway point, there's a little table and chair with a log sitting on the table. You can sit there and read and add your own entry to the log. Then you continue up to the TOP and we have pictures of our girl at the TOP!!! An inspiring and proud moment in to have overcome her fear of heights and finding she has the strength and ability to climb and reach the top and wave to the little people below!! Can you just feel the emotions she must have been experiencing at that point and time? WoW. I'm really proud of her.

We were really glad to have her back, dirt and all. I think it's the dirtiest her and her clothes have ever been in her entire life. The day before the last day of camp, they sat all of the girls in the cabin on lawn chairs, all in a row, in their bathing suits and sprayed them with the hose. They called it the "human carwash".

August was vacation month. We rented a big, beautiful motorhome and went back to Dockweiler State Beach in El Segundo for a week on the sand. We parked in the front row and absolutely soaked up the sun, the smell of the air and ocean breeze for seven days. It was heavenly. What made it especially fun was that our pals, Diane and Kim parked next to us in their motorhome! We shared food, drink, laughter and messes but what a great time it was!

Parker and COOKIE took two full sessions of swimming lessons in May and early June and what a difference they made! COOKIE is much more confident in the water and swimming and boogie boarding with her mom and dad. Parker is actually jumping INTO the waves and body surfing. It's amazing to witness the progress they've made! It was worth every penny spent for their success.

We actually celebrated my BIG birthday, Shelee's birthday, Shelee and Matt's anniversary and Shannon and John's anniversay while on vacation. We had lots of family and friends and decorations and food and drink and sun and sand and laughs! It's a monumental day when BOTH of sisters come to the BEACH!! (neither of them like the beach), put on their swimsuits!!! and get in the water with me!!!!! It was a special moment and a very special birthday!

My kids gave me a beautiful RED 3 wheel bike (so I don't fall down and go BOOM!!) and my new license plate for the bike will say "GGG's Lexus" because it's the closest I'll ever get to my red Lexus. :)
(Story about "GGG"....In the kid's movie "Hoodwinked", Little Red Riding Hood's granny does everything EXTREME and she had "GGG" tatooed on the back of her neck. It's a spoof on Vin Disel's "XXX" movie. Anyway, the granny is really funny and extreme and COOKIE has called me "Triple G" ever since. Parker has never caught on and has always called me "Double G". HAHAHAHAHAHA)

We caught the "camping" bug and just bought a beautiful new travel trailer. Everyone is so excited. We're already booked at least once every month for the rest of the year to go camping at the beach. As a matter of fact, we'll be having Thanksgiving on the beach at Dockweiler. I can't wait. It doesn't get any better than that.

Well, here we are in September and the kids are both nestled into their new routines of early to bed and early ups. Parker has matured so much over the summer and it really shows. He loves his 2nd grade teachers (he has two) and suddenly, overnight, his printing became not only legible but NICE. Do you think he's been holding out on us?

COOKIE has chosen to continue being homeschooled and has taken on a full load of subjects. Her "Ms. Dena" is back in full swing, three days a week with lots of homework. I know it's still new but both kids are facing their new challenges with optimism and eargerness.

As far as an update on COOKIE's health, well, isn't it funny? I started this blog 2 years ago SPECIFICALLY to keep everyone who was interested up to date on COOKIE's health. It's taken on a life of it's own and opened many windows into this family. It's fun to write but ever since I've been back to work, it's been harder and harder to keep it going. I hope someone is reading it. If nothing else, it will be a good "log" to look back on.

Well, my beautiful granddaughter has not grown in stature in 2 years. Caused from damage to the pituitary gland during radiation and probably from all of the years of chemotherapy, she's remained pretty much the same height and weight. Visits to an endocronologist and many tests later it's determined that COOKIE needs to be given growth hormone therapy. That consists of a tiny little injection, every day, until she's 16 years old. This will cause her body to gain weight, muscle mass and grow to the size that it would have if it hadn't been so RUDELY interrupted. After much thought process and discussions, COOKIE has decided to go forward and do this. There are many repercussions on both sides of this issue and the decision to do this has not been made lightly.

At the same time, COOKIE has been battling a skin issue with her scalp, behind her knees, in the crooks of her arms and under her chin and arms. There's another debate going on between the oncologist and the dermatologist. One thinks the skin problems are fungal and the other says not. So, we're going with the oncologist's treatment first and, if it doesn't show any improvement we'll know it's not fungal and go to Plan B, which entails lots of different types of topical creams and shampoo and COOKIE will have to sleep with special medicine on her scalp and a cap for a while. WHATEVER it takes, she will endure it. She's very anxious to get to the root of this problem and not just treat the symptoms as we've been doing.

Since I began writing this particular entry in the blog, COOKIE has done yet another wonderful thing for herself. She chose to join her cousin Keli on family camping trip to Lake Mojave. They'll be sleeping in a tent and really roughing it. They'll be riding in Keli's family's boat and maybe even getting pulled behind the boat in a great big inner tube. She was very nervous her and Keli are very close and very compatible. She's never been this far away from home. It was hard to leave her. That's the overprotective grandma speaking. I would fold her into my arms and never let her leave, if only to protect her from anything ever causing her pain or harm ever, ever again. Doesn't every mother feel that way about their children? The only problem is my feeling never goes away, no matter how old they are. Dr. Phil would have a field day with me!!! hahahaha

All in all, considering everything that's happened in the last 2 1/2 years (or 10 1/2years, depending how you look at it) we're so darn thankful and lucky we can hardly contain ourselves. And now the TRAILER? Holy Cow. Life is good.

I hope it's good for all of you as well.
Would love to hear from you! My email is: gwarren1@socal.rr.com.
Hugs and best wishes for health and happiness,
Cookie, The Grandma

COOKIE - TWO YEARS LATER...04/16/08

Dearest Friends & Family,
Happy First Day of Spring, Happy Easter, April Fool's Day, and Passover! See how much life happens in the span of just one month? Not to mention the birthdays and anniversary's that have been celebrated. Speaking of which, April 26th, 2008 marks the two year anniversary of COOKIE's bone marrow transplant. In some ways it seems like just yesterday. On the other hand, we're getting so good at feeling "normal" that all of those hospital memories gets stored away in it's own little compartments and it seems so long ago.

What I find a little disturbing is that I'm so willing to allow those memories to fade. Then when a little hiccup occurs, everything comes rushing forward and I remember how it felt to be fearful and vulnerable.

COOKIE is doing really well. She's happy and maturing into such a beautiful young lady. She's got such a sense of who she is. COOKIE missed out on so much of her little girl life but one of my favorite things about her is that she allows herself to indulge in little girl dreams and fun. She's in no hurry to grow up and yet has a maturity level that allows you to have a real grown up conversation with her when necessary. A unique little human being all rolled into this sweet-faced, blue-eyed beauty with a laugh that tinkles and makes you smile very single time. Yes. I'm very biased and yes, anyone that knows her feels the exact same way about her. She's got charisma and charm and beauty and brains and a heart that she uses to share her love of life and babies and animals and books and collectibles, oh, and her brother. :)

Yesterday (Tuesday, 4/15) was her routine UCLA visit. The only thing that wasn't routine is that it had been 4 weeks since she was last seen. This was a first. COOKIE has been a little short on stamina and short of breath at the top of the stairs. Her pulse and blood pressure seemed to be elevated and they immediately sent her for an EKG and echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). Of course they drew labs as well. Dr. Dave called Shelee last night and said everything came back normal. This is the little hiccup I referred to earlier. You could hear all of us let out a sigh when we got the news. They ruled out all of the major problems and said it's possible it's just part of the recovery process. COOKIE is, as we all know, a turtle, and her little body is still recovering from ten years of chemotherapy and the shock of new dna! We can understand that, right?

So, forward we march, as always. Remodeling starts on Monday and COOKIE has to be out of the house when the demolition begins so Aunt Shannon is taking her home for a week or two. She's very excited. Aunt Shannon's house is our "vacation home" and COOKIE basks in the freedom. Parker does too. He just had his turn at Aunt Shannon's and her and Uncle Johnny took him up the Palm Springs Tram. They went hiking in the snow and had a picnic lunch then came home and went swimming! How cool is that?

THIS IS A SECRET.....To celebrate COOKIE's upcoming anniversary, for this family to be together and take a moment to hold hands and understand the depth of our appreciation for life and all it's given us, we're going to take COOKIE and Parker to Soak City Water Park in Palm Springs. They both LOVE this place and we're going to rent a cabana and just sit back and enjoy the water and the sun and each other. COOKIE and Parker don't know this yet. COOKIE will already be out at Aunt Shannon's and Saturday morning Shelee, Matt, Parker and Myself will drive out and meet them at the Water Park. Aunt Shannon is going to let COOKIE pack her stuff, thinking that they're coming home. She will be really surprised and so will Parker. It's one of their favorite things to do.

In the meantime, our house will be getting the first of it's makeover done. Shelee and Matt will be sleeping in the dining room for about 4-6 weeks as their new master bathroom is being built. Parker is getting HIS OWN ROOM! We never thought it could happen but here it is! Lots of topsy turvy for a short time but we've definitely been through worse. hahaha

COOKIE was elected "Artist of the Year" at UCLA. A Tennis Association sponsors the campaign and they chose COOKIE's drawing of a turtle and the caption said "Slow and steady for a cure." They will be putting it on a plate that will hang in the halls of the clinic. They're honoring her on May 05th at a luncheon for 500 people. Speech time!

Also coming up, Parker's 7th birthday! SEVEN!!!!

Stay tuned.

Love to all!
Cookie, The Grandma

COOKIE - 12 Years Old and Loving Life 03/19/08

Dearest Friends and Family,
Since we last "spoke", so much life has gone on! That old saying, "What a difference a day makes" is not truer than in this family! Before you start worring, let me say that it's all good.

Uncle Christopher got married and that was a big deal because he's been such a wonderful addition to our home. We miss him every day but thankfully, he and his new wife live locally and we still see him often. Parker really had a tough time. He simply refused to say that Uncle Christopher lived elsewhere. He kept saying "Amy's house". Now that he's had some time, and he sees that he's still Uncle Christopher's special boy, he's actually calling her "Aunt Amy" and he is always hugging her. Amy has a 9 year old daughter named Sarah and she's become a very familiar little person around our house. The kids are all so excited about having a new cousin and, for Sarah, it's especially sweet because she got two new cousins for the price of one! We're very happy for the new couple and they couldn't be happier together! Isn't love grand?

Speaking of love, COOKIE celebrated her 12th birthday with all of the vim and vigor necessary to make it memorable! The celebration lasted about a week, with flowers and balloons being sent to the house, dinners out and then, a trip to one of COOKIE's most favorite places, Disneyland! Aunt Shannon joined the 5 of us and we actually spent 14 hours at the "happiest place on earth". We had so much fun! It's been over 2 years since we last went and the doctor's finally said COOKIE was strong enough to go. They did tell us not to let her get too tired so we pushed her around in her wheelchair and had one of the most fun times at Disneyland that we've ever had. We rode EVERYTHING at least twice and some rides even more. Of course, I sat out a couple. It's not easy acting 12 when you're, well, not anywhere near 12. hahaha There's no way I could keep up with Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Shannon and the kids! Mommy and Daddy are such good sports! They actually went on Thunder Mountain 4 times!

We tried to break up the day by taking the Monorail over to Disney Walk and having dinner at the Rainforest Cafe'. Then back on the Monorail to Tomorrowland. Later on in the evening, when we were starting to drag a little, Aunt Shannon turned to me and said, "At what point do I just say 'no'." I said you're asking the wrong person. I'm 20 years older than you and I STILL can't say no! hahaha

We didn't get home until 1:30 in the morning and it happened to be the same morning that we had to set the clocks ahead. Yup. We didn't crawl into bed until almost 3:00am. It took me all week to recooperate. At least, I think I'm recooperated!

Parker was in soccer for 8 weeks. He just had his last game on Saturday. What a crack up. This was a HUGE deal for us (isn't everything?) because our boy Parker is not exactly Athelete of the Year. In fact, he's has never shown any interest in any sports but he wanted to do this and we were very encouraging! He's looking forward to signing up again after summer! So is COOKIE. She wants to try her hand at soccer and softball as well. She's really looking forward to starting up her tennis lessons again. The doctor's have agreed that she can do these things "IN MODERATION". It's not ok for her to get too tired. Her body is still rejuvenating itself. Parker is also beginning to show an interest in basketball. Oh boy. We going to be busy!

Both he and COOKIE got instruments for Christmas. They just started lessons, Parker on the drums and COOKIE on the guitar. Look out America! We may just be witnessing the beginning of a really cute ROCK BAND! :)

NEWEST NEWS: Construction in our house is scheduled to begin April 21st. We're adding a 4th bedroom (for Parker) and a new master bedroom for mommy and daddy. (And yet another big deal for this family.) We're all really excited! Cookie is a little more excited about having her own room than Parker is. He's actually never had his own room so it may take some time to get used to. Matt and Shelee, on the other hand, are looking forward to a smaller, more efficient bathroom, not to mention a NEW bathroom. COOKIE will have to leave the house for a few days while they open the walls and demolition is taking place. She'll be going to Aunt Shannons. The rest of us don't have that luxury. We'll be "living the dream" with one bathroom for about 4-6 weeks. Stay tuned! We're having a MONSTER YARD SALE very soon!!! Anybody in the market for "monsters"?

Easter Weekend is upon us. We're going to Palm Desert to color and hunt Easter eggs. It should be a beautiful weekend out there! Happy Easter to all of you.

On a very somber and sad note, please take a moment and say a prayer for a beautiful little boy that COOKIE has been acquainted with since she relapsed at age 5. He was also a patient of Dr. Finklestein's in Long Beach and had his bone marrow transplants at UCLA. Coincidentally, he has been homeschooled by our wonderful tutor, Ms. Dena. Dale could not fight the fight any longer. Our deepest sympathy and most sincere condolences go to his family. Another bright star has been added to the sky.

Take good care of one another and don't forget to give BIG HUGS! Thank you, as always, for showing so much support for so long. We're truly a blessed family.
Until next time,
Cookie, The Grandma

COOKIE - ALMOST 12! 02/19/08

Dearest Friends and Family,
Wow, it's gloomy weather this week. Everywhere you turn someone is coughing or sneezing. We've had our share, of course, because Parker gets a cold like no one else. I think it's because he goes to school with a bunch of little germ factories! Anyway, I hope all of you are staying as healthy as possible!

Since I wrote last, COOKIE did go to camp and was very successful! She was only a little homesick at the beginning. She found her footing, held her head up high and plowed through the 4 days smiling and making memories. She committed herself to the week long summer Camp Ronald McDonald and agreed to meet up with her new friend. We were soooo excited to see her and hear all about it. Parker had his arm around for most of the first day home. Of course, that all changed once the newness wore off and they became the normal big sister/little brother duo. I don't know how Parker learned to be such an annoying little brother. I mean, it's not like he took lessons or read the book but he's got it mastered!!

We were very happy after COOKIE's doctor visit last week to find out that she had actually gained a pound. COOKIE eats better in the late afternoon and evening. Anyway, she's holding her own and that's very exciting. She may soon begin getting her immunizations again. They'll start with a flu shot and if all goes well with that, they'll give her a couple of immunizations and see if she has any reactions. She has to start all over with them because she has new DNA and they have to be very careful. They're checking her immune system and it's not as strong as we'd like it to be but with time, we hope it will continue to get better.

She's still struggling with the Graph vs. Host Disease on her hands and there's a rash that comes and goes on her face and body. Also, she has some issues with her scalp that require special treatments (overnight) and constant monitoring but you'd never know about the condition to look at her and her beautiful head of fluffy, curly brown hair! It's getting so long that it bounces all over the place and she could, if she wanted to, pull it into a little ball of a pony! COOKIE has such a classic beauty about her.

And speaking of carrying herself classically, I wish EVERYONE could attend her annual speech at Downey High School! The Pennies for Patients Campaign for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is under way and Downey High School is one of the largest contributors! They have a student body of just over 4,000 and they hold two assemblies, each with approximately 2,000 students. They're so organized and enthusiastic! It's a great school and I have to tell you, you could hear a pin drop when COOKIE is speaking, except when they're cheering and applauding!!! They were cheering and applauding her after every sentence in the first assembly. It was with the older kids and they remember her from previous years. COOKIE has been speaking to them every year for 4 years now and they've seen her in various stages of her life....blonde, bald, ill and now a vision in beautiful dark brown curls. This year's speech was the most moving and spectacular speech she's ever delivered!
I absolutely could not be more proud of her and her self control. She's beginning to read with feeling and passion and understanding that she's actually delivering a story about her life. I cherish the feeling of invigoration and pride when this girl is sharing herself. I truly believe that she will see a cure in her lifetime and know that she played a part in helping to fund the research necessary to have found that cure.

NEXT YEAR, I'm going to drag as many people as I can with us! I can't wait to see how much they collect this year!

COOKIE made a very grown up decision for herself this month. She decided not to return to school but rather to continue her homeschooling and tutoring. She's thriving in her environment and spent many long and difficult hours contemplating her return. She met with the school officials and her teachers and they continue to be extremely supportive in her decision. COOKIE's wonderful tutor, Ms. Dena, stays in contact with COOKIE's teachers and the doors remain open for communication and guidance on both sides. It's a perfect situation for our girl.

We've been blessed over and over with wonderful people that have come into our lives over the years. One of them is a humble and brilliant woman that has been our liasion with COOKIE's school and has taken it upon herself to come by the house and pick up COOKIE's work, deliver it to school and keep the process going. KT has been the one to keep the communication between the teachers and COOKIE open. She has been an absolute GEM in sharing her knowledge and expertise and is an irreplaceable force that we couldn't be more grateful for!!! Thank you, KT!!!!

Next month, COOKIE will be 12. When she was giving her first speech this year at Parker's school, she mentioned that she's been fighting this fight for almost 10 years. It actually startled her when the realization of that hit home. She kind of shook her head and gave a giggle and said "Wow." Yeah. Wow.

I hope everyone is happy and healthy. Until next time, wishing you love,
Cookie, The Grandma

COOKIE - Cookie's going to CAMP!!!

Dearest Friends and Family,
Tomorrow is the big day! COOKIE is going to camp! We're so excited for her and, more importantly, SHE's so excited for herself! All of her stuff is laid out on Mommy's bed, ready to be checked off the list and packed into an adorable black and red polka dot suitcase! Our sweet friend, Kim, brought us some great snow gear so COOKIE should be snug as a bug in a rug. She's already practiced doing snow angels on the bedroom floor with all of the "gear" on!

Today has been a tough day to be at work because everyone at home is buzzing. Even Parker. Are you kidding? He gets to sleep with Mommy all weekend because Daddy is leaving tomorrow for fishing!! I don't think Daddy's going to sleep tonight either!

What a weekend! Shelee and Parker and I are going to run around and stay busy so we don't have to worry about either of our travelers! :)

Just wanted to share! I hope all is well on your sides of the world and we wish you love!
Cookie, The Grandma