My baby is growing up--Alyssa is out of Kindergarten! Next year she'll be on the big kid playground and sitting at a desk in the main building. She'll be down the hall from her big sis and involved with all the fun stuff at school. How fast the time has passed.


Her graduation was short and cute as they all danced and sang. Their Faith partners joined them for the last song "What a Wonderful World." I thought I had it together--I was certain I wasn't going to get choked up. I have to say it's very difficult taking pictures through tears. Each 6th grader and their Kindergartner opened a poster during a particular verse in the song. It was something they'd created together. It was beautiful.

The week before Alyssa was sad as she told me they were having their last mass of the school year with their Faith partners. She was so worried that she'd never see her partner again. The relief on her face when I told her that her partner would stay with her through her First Holy Communion in 2nd grade.

I am happy that my girls love school so much and love all aspects of their school itself, from their teachers to attending mass with their Faith partners to spending every day with their classmates.

And so it begins . . .

And just like that . . . it's time to pack up and go.


My mom has been feeling well and looks great. We've been taking a walk once a day--its a nice way to connect and keep us both active. She's been home, being creative, and out and about, within reason. We even headed to the delicious little bakery in San Juan Bautista on Saturday with the kids in tow.

My mom hasn't had much news from UCSF in the last two weeks so she called to check in. They asked if she could be there tomorrow to get a pick line in and start melphalan. Just like that! One minute you're eating lunch, the next your butt is in high gear to get ready for an extended hospital stay.

BAM!, a smack upside my head--that is pretty much how I feel. It's so easy to forget (or in my case, ignore) what is up ahead. My mom and I have one of those relationships where we talk every day, sometimes several times a day. We do lunch, we walk, we sew . . . together. We'll talk or text, but knowing she's not home is the hard part for me. I'll miss her.

She's really upbeat, however, this is simply my gripe. She wants to get it over with so that she can get through the tough part and be done. I want that too. So I'll take the kids over there tonight to say goodbye for now--they'd be devastated if I didn't.

Its been a long week, but we made it through with a lot of tears and promises for the future.

Samantha had to say goodbye to two of her classmates (brother and sister twins) as they moved out of state. Samantha and her bestie got to squeeze in two play dates and lots of quality time and I got to enjoy breakfast with their mom one last time.

We bought Samantha's best friend packages of stationery and some pens to write and a framed picture of the two of them on the first day of school this year. I got choked up when Samantha's best friend said, "As soon as my desk is unpacked, this picture is going on it."

Of course Samantha sobbed and asked if she could go with them. Both my kids have been asking when we can move too.

I can't wait to book us a flight to Denver and spend a week playing in Colorado for the summer. I'll miss the twins, but I this last year I was getting to know the twins' mom well. I'm bummed that they moved too, but know that we'll keep in touch.

Some friendships are worth the extra effort and this is one of those.