Big Heart Day

At preschool each child has a Big Heart Day, it's a highly anticipated day where you are celebrated in many different ways.  Georgia had been asking and asking when her big heart day was, after we arrived home from Hawaii we got to work on the special things she would be bringing to school with her.
She had a giant red heart that she needed to fill with pictures of her family, she carefully chose the pictures she wanted me to order, she chose several of she and Leo and only one of someone outside of our immediate family, her cousin, Lauren.  Once we had them, she glued each one carefully on then finished it off with glitter in any open space.  She chose her favorite book and favorite toy to share with the class.

When the big day arrived we packed up her special things and headed to school.  I helped her get her big heart set up then needed to leave, parents aren't allowed to stay on their child's big heart day.
When I picked her up she was grinning from ear to ear, as her friends said goodbye they all kept saying, "happy big heart day Georgia!"  She showed me a book the class had made for her, each child wrote down a compliment then drew a picture, the teacher wrote Georgia a special letter and wrote down her favorite things.  Since Georgia's big heart day we've ready the book nearly every night.

Here are some of the highlights:

Favorite color: Blue
Favorite movie: Frozen
Favorite book: Madeline
Favorite place to go: Hawaii
Favorite food to eat: pizza
Favorite preschool song: Rocketship Run

Here are some of the compliments her classmates wrote down:
I like Georgia's hairstyle.
I like Georgia because she is kind to me.
I like your big heart and how you play with many friends.
I like Georgia because she is nice to me.
I like Georgia because she has a healthy face.
Georgia is my best friend.

My Big Heart Girl

 Georgia with Teacher Kylene

Listening to her book being read.

The last page in Georgia's book is this letter from her teacher:

The class dancing to Georgia's favorite preschool song -

Hawaii 2015

We were fortunate to be able to go to Kona in early February with Nana, Bawdy and Wade, Alexis, Holden and Landon.  The weather was absolutely beautiful and between swimming, surfing, eating, cocktails, and lots of vitamin D we all had great time.

 The view from the deck was perfect for sunsets in the evening and 

whale & dolphin watching during the day.

The pool at the house provided hours of fun!

 Georgia & Nana

Four cousins!

 Landon & Holden 

 We all had a great time at a luau where Georgia made her own lei, the kids played and everyone loved the show.  The next day I asked Leo if he had fun, he smiled and said, "Fire!" nothing beats a fire dancer when you're almost two!

 Leo taking in the double rainbow one morning.

Leo and I were feeling pretty cool in our shades

 Georgia got a surfing lesson from daddy!

 Georgia the mermaid

Brian and I decided you can't go all the way to Hawaii and not stop by the ABC Store, we outfitted ourselves nicely in tropical tourist gear.

The whole gang!

Thank You

It's hard to explain the literal functions of the human body to a child, let alone the inter workings of a bone marrow transplant and an immune system.  We've always told Georgia that she received a present from a man in Germany, and that the present is inside her body.
More recently we've  talked about who that man in Germany is and why she needed his help.  I told her that the immune system she was born with didn't work very well and that Manuel was very generous and gave her part of his so she could have a new one.
Several weeks ago I was working on the computer, Georgia asked for a piece of paper and a pen.  She laid down on the floor and started asking how to spell certain words, I went letter by letter while still trying to focus on what I was working on.  "Ok," she said, "the last word I need is Manuel, how do you spell that mom?"  I stopped, turned around and couldn't believe what I saw, Georgia beaming with pride and her sweetly written words.  She asked me to mail her letter to Manuel, I snapped a quick picture before she found an envelope and put it inside.