Well, March is here, which means that our week-long birthday celebrations have come to a close. Chaya, Ethan and I all share February birthdays, so our celebration started last Sunday with a family brunch – and of course cake. Ethan crossed over to the big 5.0 during the wee hours of Thursday morning and celebrated again that afternoon in school with a Rescue Heroes party – and more cake.
That night, we offered to take him anywhere he wanted to go for his special Birthday dinner and he chose - Chick-fil-A, where we were joined by Denise, his dear Radiation Oncology nurse.The big blow-out with all of his buddies happened yesterday. It was gorgeous weather in Washington and Ethan had his first (and perhaps his last) outdoor birthday party in February. The kids played on the play set, bounced in a mini moon bounce, played t-ball and colored with chalk. As we were cutting the cake, the big red magnets (i.e., fire trucks/ambulance) came and the kids seemed just as excited as they were last year. They all got to hop on board and try on the gear. This time last year, the sight of fire trucks and ambulances made all of the neighbors real nervous, but now they’ve become a more familiar sight.
Ethan seems to be very proud of his new age. Whether it’s a store clerk or a kid on the playground, the conversation always starts out the same: “Hi, I’m 5 years old now… oh, and my name is Ethan”. The store clerks make a big deal out of it, but the kids on the playground don’t seem to know what to make of him. Ethan is most proud of the fact that he is now three years older then Kyra, rather then just two and reminds her of it at every opportunity. For those of you who know Kyra, you might imagine how well this goes over…
Backing up a bit, our winter has been nice, although not as much snow as the kids would like. It seems like every time we get a big snowstorm, Bert’s out of town so the shoveling is up to me. Ethan and Kyra also have big aspirations to help. Ethan does a decent job, but Kyra only lasts a few minutes before she face-plants in the snow and has had enough.
Our Christmas was a mixed bag. A week before the holiday, I got the phone call that I had dreaded for some time: that our good friend, Michelle had lost her 2-year battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma. It was a heartbreaking time for everyone who knew and loved her. Ethan and I still talk about her often. Its so touching when he says a little prayer for her and tells God all of the things he needs to do to take good care of her, including making her some Rice Krispy Treats.
It was a very difficult week leading up to the holiday and so Bert came to the rescue by planning a last minute trip out of town to Disney World. We left the day after Christmas and stayed for a week. Before we even boarded the plane, Ethan has a 3-girl fan club – 4 if you count Kyra. We had a fabulous time at all of the parks and visited 2 fire stations, including Reedy Creek which services all of the Disney properties. Our New Year’s was a bit anti-climatic. Bert & I were so tired by then that we went to be with the kids – only to be woken at 11:50 by a fire alarm. So we rang in the New Year after all – from the parking lot of the hotel - in our pajamas - holding our sleeping children. It was very glamorous.
By the way, Ethan did get that banjo after all, thanks to Mike, a big blue grass buff down at the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. He made some calls and found a music shop that was willing to donate the banjo that they used to give lessons. It’s a terrific banjo (not that I know about those things, but it seems very nice) and its bigger then he is! The whole staff down there is just incredible!
I’m taking Ethan in for his next round of testing this Thursday, March 4th. We’ll have the results back within a week and I’ll certainly pass them along. For now, here are some pictures from the last month or two… One of Ethan’s airport fan club, and two from the big birthday bash. Wish us luck for Thursday!!
Regards,
Kim.
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