Universal Studios - Character Sightings

September 6, 2010

First it was Dora the Explorer, then it was SpongeBob. Homer, Bart and Maggie were next, but the shortest line for the photos was with Bart since we wanted to catch the Simpsons Ride. The Madagascar characters were always a riot!

In between all those characters, the girls were scared out of their wits when we went through the Haunted House. At first, Alisha acted brave and told herself it is all pretend, but the adrenaline and fear factor got the best of her. Ashley was screaming the whole way through and realized at the end that it wasn't that bad because the chainsaw madman picked up her pink hair band. Ashley; however, refused to go on the Studio Tours again due to her traumatic experience with King Kong 3D, fighting the velociraptors and T-Rex and Norman Bates carrying his deceased wife into the trunk of their vehicle.

This visit was much less crowded and more enjoyable with the milder weather.

Chillin' at the SLS Hotel

September 5, 2010

After Chinese school, we headed straight to the SLS Hotel for the Labor Day weekend. Thought we would try to enjoy the SLS Hotel and its amenities this visit rather than rush around from one place to the next. The SLS staff were awesome because the Director of Rooms reserved a bed by the pool for us to lounge out at and arranged a fruit platter on our arrival. There was also a refrigerator stocked with soft drinks, water and mists for Platinum guests along with a TV and eating area at the pool.

SLS does not have a lap pool. It is one of those pools (3 ft. deep) where people work on their tan while sipping on an alcoholic drink. The girls swam around the perimeter of the pool befriending everyone in sight. They do not appear to have any problems striking up a conversation with strangers. The duo even got their photos taken with an NBA player from Dallas (I don't follow, so I have no idea who it is). He's 6'11" and that's all we found out.

After the pool, we visited the Grand Lux Cafe and had delicious beignets and watched more US Open (tennis).

First Day of School

September 2 - 5, 2010

September 2nd marked the first day of school for the girls. This school year will be a huge change for both of them. Since Alisha has been out of school for the majority of the school year in 2009-2010, attending a different school full-time was an adjustment for her. We were proud that Ashley didn't have any separation anxiety or clinginess as previously anticipated on the first day of school. As for Alisha, she couldn't wait for school to start while Ashley expressed her trepidation for attending a different school.

For the first couple of days of school, the teachers usually go over the logistics and drills for emergencies. As a result, Alisha came home with a long face on the first two days until the importance of rules, regulations and emergency prepardness was explained to her. After the following Monday, she was all smiles and loved her teacher for introducing the weather book and a variety of resources inside her classroom. As a Second grader, typing will be introduced and students will be expected to type at least 25 wpm before entering the Third grade. One saving grace for all parents with their kid(s) in the Montessori program is that there is almost no homework for these students. Montessori teaching relies heavily on utilizing all senses to solve problems and get their creative juices flowing.

On Sunday, it was the first day for Chinese school. The students lined up with their uniforms and waited to be led to their respective classroom. The only thing Ashley was excited about was what snack I had packed for her. Alisha couldn't wait to learn new words and collect gifts for doing well. She's such an overachiever when it's something she loves! Since class is 3 hours long, it was a breather for the parents! :) Afterwards, Ashley had abacus class for an hour while Alisha got to relax in the recycled art class. Again, the only motivation for Ashley to be in abacus class is because she can earn candies when she answers the questions correctly. The serene nature of the craft class is what Alisha needed after one year of total chaos and losing control of her life. From her expressions, this was definitely the class she needs to bring back her sanity through all the craziness over the last year.

Miracles for Kids - Backpack Program

August 28 - September 2, 2010

For the past year, many philanthropic individuals and organizations have given Alisha and the family opportunities to experience different adventures as well as receive gifts, medical, emotional and financial support. Without the display of these generous donors, Alisha's journey to recovery would have been more challenging.

Since Alisha's health is more stable, it was time for all of us to reciprocate the kindness. Miracles for Kids had provided the opportunity for us to give back during one of it's annual basket programs. The back-to-school backpacks were assembled and delivered to local cancer kids and their siblings. We volunteered one Saturday morning and stuffed school supplies, healthy snacks and toys into these backpacks according to gender and age to ensure the items were appropriate and tailored to the individuals receiving them. The girls were very focused and expressed their sense of accomplishment for stuffing these backpacks.

The following Monday, delivery routes were mapped out and the backpacks were distributed. It was such a rewarding experience to see how happy the recipients are and to hear Alisha express her gratitude for her living conditions and the type of disease she has compared to other sick kids she witnessed while delivering backpacks. Alisha had so much fun that she asked for another route to deliver to; however, the sun and the jerking car ride caused a slight headache and exhaustion - she slept on the way back home.

Starlight Bowling

August 15, 2010

Starlight is another childhood cancer foundation aimed at improving the quality of life of children striken with life-threatening diseases by providing family activities to help them overcome the pain, anxiety, emotional rollercoaster, etc. As our first event with Starlight, we were able to take the girls bowling. Thanks to our chapter coordinator, Jessie!

Two years ago, Ashley had no interest in bowling and our memory of her at a bowling party was just standing around waiting for food and/or cake to be served. Alisha had no concept of bowling two years ago as well. Luckily, Strike, the bowling alley had the guide and gutter rails to help children bowl a strike. Ashley was the clear winner during the first game because she listened to Uncle Craig and adjusted her guide rail in order to aim at the bowling pins to achieve a strike.

Alisha was a bit of sour grapes, but the food, the cartoon displayed on the top of the bowling pins, the cosmic bowling alley got her to forget about losing. Alisha did try to bowl her entire second game without the guide rail, so she tried hard and did better. Starlight catered the typical American kids' favorite - mac n' cheese, french fries, hot dogs, chicken fingers, salad, drinks and cupcakes. The kids also were given a $5 gift card to play at the arcade area. Ashley had great luck in getting stuffed animals from those machines while Alisha moped around until she got on the motorcycle racing arcade game and took it for a while spin.

All in all, we enjoyed this event. Mom finally won the second game of bowling! :)

SLS Hotel

August 14, 2010

Similar to our visit last year at the Getty Museum, the SLS was the next stop that wasn't thoroughly enjoyed due to Alisha's condition. However, this year was another story - it was a celebration for Alisha beating the cancer and treatment.

Upon our arrival, we visited the swimming pool, but it was closed due to heavy cleaning from an unforeseen accident from a very young guest. Ashley and Alisha took advantage of the bizarre setup around the swimming pool and posed for several photo opportunities. SLS is know for the modern, ecclectic and chic ambiance. The girls learned how to play pool for the very first time. Ashley lost interest quickly and Alisha stuck to the bitter end.

We walked to the Stinking Rose restaurant to taste the garlic ice cream amongst various garlic-related delicacies. Some were a hit and some not so desirable. Alisha got to wear the birthday garlic hat as she was dubbed "Stinkie" and wished a "stinking birthday".

Back at the hotel, we enjoyed the invisible TV, the AK-47 lamppost and other strange decoration.

Getty Museum

August 14, 2010

The much anticipated day at the Getty Museum was finally here. The significance of this day was that Alisha loves art, but her visit a year ago on 08/29/09 was quite traumatic - two days prior to her leukemia diagnosis. Last year on the day of visit, her eyes were all of a sudden puffy and her lymphnodes expressed under her chin. She dragged herself around the art museum because she so wanted to enjoy the artwork and listen to the history behind the masterpieces. We finally put her inside the stroller meant for Ashley due to the bone pains and had to shorten the trip.

Ever since last year, Alisha had requested numerous times to visit Getty Museum again. When we arrived, the girls immediately asked to sketch their own work at the sketching center. If left up to Alisha to decide, she would be sketching at the center for the entire day. Afterwards, they participated in the Family Fun Center where they learned about French/Chinese artwork involving gold plating and made a gold-plated pot of flowers. We circled around the museum visiting various masterpieces and the kids ran outside on the lawn. The girls played with art model, bending it to different shapes. We are all thrilled that Alisha was able to enjoy the museum on this visit!

Wild Rivers

August 7, 2010

The local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation hosted an event at Wild Rivers. Alisha could not wait to go while Ashley was a bit hesitant. It was a very hot and crowded day - not a condition for Alisha to hang out, but we had already RSVP'd for the event. We were going to head towards the toddler play area first, but Alisha saw several slides with people on big floaties coming down. Naturally, we all gravitated to the fun rides, so we braved through the ice-cold water and came rushing down the inner tubes. Alisha laughed the whole way down and immediately asked to get in line. Ashley couldn't hold herself up enough, so she bumped her back several times on the way down. She was a bit in shock after the experience and vehemently refused to get on the ride again.

Lunch was served, so we opted out the ride for food. Lunch was the typical American diet, but the icing on the cake for all kids was ice cream. Since Ashley was still in shock from the ride earlier, we decided to hang out at the kiddie pool are while trying to get used to the frigid water. Photo opportunities were difficult because we did not want to replace a damaged or stolen camera. We left earlier for several reasons: 1) Ashley was shaking and complaining of being cold, 2) Getting ready for the Verizon concert - Tchaikovsky's 1812 and avoid the ever-growing group of people at Wild Rivers.

Alisha was mesmerized by the cannons setup for the Tchaikovsky's 1812. We thoroughly enjoyed the picnic, the music, the cannons and firework! It was spectacular!!!

Camp Summersault

August 2 - 6, 2010

American Cancer Society (Long Beach chapter) sponsored the 25th annual camp for cancer kids and their siblings. Alisha had been looking forward to camp for quite some time since the menu called for archery. She had wanted to experience archery first hand after perfecting her skills on the Wii version. Unfortunately, she found out that the minimum age for archery is eight, so she will have to wait until next year. In lieu of her favorite activity, she found herself climbing up and down the 30+ feet rockclimbing wall.

The Camp was extremely successful not without the devoted volunteers of all age groups. The counselor/camper ratio were close to one to one, which is unheard of. What is heartbreaking about some of the counselors is that they are either coming out of another relapse or going through chemotherapy again. For some, the Medi-Cal coverage ended since they're considered an adult. We hope that they are able to win the plea with Medi-Cal to continue coverage at least until the end of treatment.

We were concerned with Ashley and her attention span at camp. She amazed us by staying all the way through the week and enjoyed most of it. There were rhymes, sayings and songs that kept her interested. Any arts and crafts involving jewelries such as crowns, necklaces, bracelets, etc. were a big hit for her. The girls worked on masks, fireflies, instruments made from recycle products. They prepared their own lunches, roasted marshmallows to make s'mores, made banana boats, etc.

On Thursday evening, the parents were invited to a BBQ by the Long Beach Fire Department, performances by the kids and special presentation to celebrate 25 years of the camp.