Category Archives: Blogging
Ride, Baby Ride!
This weekend is the Pan Mass Challenge, the biggest athletic fundraiser in the United States. Over 6000 riders will raise more than $32 million, 100% goes directly to support research and treatment at Dana-Farber.
I’ve had the pleasure to be invited to serve as a speaker at the event’s kick-off, along with this guy. And Vampboy will be making a special, incredibly cute and thereby tear-jerking appearance.
Blog readers and lurkers are welcome to view the fun! As far as I know, the portion of the event I am speaking at will be recorded and available for viewing at www.pmc.org after 8pm on Friday (August 5th). You should watch the whole thing, but I’m slated to speak towards the end of the first hour.
And if you haven’t already, go ahead and give some donation love to Papa Bradstein , who is riding in his second PMC. I mean, come ON folks — the guy shaved his head and beard to raise money..Behold!
Watch the twitter feed for updates on Friday, and this here blog for any other posts, updates on viewing opportunities, etc. And, as always, thanks for being part of the journey.
Numbers
Five
It is amazing how far we’ve come. Five years have passed so quickly, and yet that life lived in fear and worry seems so long ago. We come to today amidst incredible normalcy, albeit perhaps with more gratitude than the average person.
VB 13, C 0
VB continues to do well, including a recent MRI and PET scan that confirmed he remains with “No Evidence of Disease”. And if that weren’t enough, he has now completed his first ice skating show (the best dwarf of all — his “hi ho” at the top of his lungs brought the house down), graduated from kindergarten and finished his first round of swimming lessons. Shortly I’m sure he will defeat a great army and slay many dragons all while singing “Mama Mia” at the top of his lungs.
Six
We continue to move forward on adoption. Once you’ve done all of the paperwork and the social worker certifies you as “attractive” (no kidding — the home study actually says that) and lacking in serial-killer qualities, the process is a lot of “hurry up and wait”. Thus far we’ve had our “profile” (that’s the 4-page preamble of who you are and why you might be a good choice for parenthood) shared with about six birth mothers, but no takers yet. So we wait for the next call — possibly the right one.
Two
That’s the number of months that have gone by since I’ve posted anything here. I’ll refrain from the usual apologies, accept to say that life’s been moving, and enjoyably enough so as to put my time and energy elsewhere. There are worse things….
One Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty
That’s the number – in dollars — that I’m hoping to raise for this years Jimmy Fund Walk. Still a ways to go, but no day like the anniversary of my son’s diagnosis to reach out and ask folks to give, so that others may one day enjoy a day as normal as this one. Honor my son, and perhaps one of your loved one’s, with a donation today.
Happy Father’s Day, everyone!
Six
Dear Vampboy –
It has been a whirlwind few days since you turned the big 6-a-roonie…The family descended upon our home for your favorite food (pizza) and stories of your birth and early life as a baby. Gifts were offered and gladly received. The next day brought a snow day for Daddy, so we got to fly through construction of your new Lego Police Station. Law enforcement everywhere breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that little detachable justice prevailed.
This weekend we had your friends-party, and what a ho-down it was! We hit the sunny, snow-filled outdoors for an afternoon at a local nature center (who knew such a place existed so close to home!). You and your friends wandered through the woods with the environmental instructor, collecting twigs and leaves that would soon become fairy houses. In your never ending quest to be the cutest, kindest kid in the universe, you let your friend K take the fairy house home, since you worked on it together and “I got all the presents, so she should get the fairy house.” Way to keep close to the heart of one of your potential future prom dates, kiddo.
More gifts, and another visit with your cousins ensued. I’ve had to clean your new Little Mermaid dinner set three times now so that it can be used at every meal. Thanks to R, your pre-school wife for that one…Clearly you are still a winner with the ladies.
This morning we talked about all of your friends — how lucky you are to have such love in your life. “I know,” you replied. “Some people don’t have friends like I do.” Truth is everyone should be so lucky…But are luckier still if they have a chance to meet you. Your mom and I are so proud of the person you are becoming; kind, smart, funny, caring — perfect. Our little boy.
We love you.
In continued gratitude for Vampboy’s ability to have this birthday, I am participating in the 2011 Jimmy Fund Walk. Proceeds go directly to ATRT Research and treatment, so other parents and kids don’t have to experience what we did — and so that those who do can see the day their little one enjoys something as monumental as a 6th birthday. My readers are welcomed to honor my son’s birthday, or the birthdays of people you love, by donating now. Thank you.
