Two birthdays, and a trip to San Francisco

Today I'm grateful for...
Soon getting back to the routing of kids in school
Watching my youngest do wonderful new things everyday
See my oldest celebrate his 10 birthday
Sunshine

Lulu had her 42 birthday this last Sunday, and it seems that all went well? Early in the morning Carter and I snuck out of the house for the store to get a cake, candles, and flowers (we got there so early that the store wasn't even open yet). I truly love the bonding time with each child that I occasionally get. Any of you that have more then one child, I'm sure, can relate? That solo time that you get to get bond with that one child is sacred. Carter is such a good boy, so thoughtful, and concerned about doing the right thing. Sometimes you wonder if you're raising your kids properly, and when you see them in action, you get validation. Carter picked out the flowers, birthday card, and then the cake for his Mom. I was thinking the whole time how much I would love to have my kids pick all the special items that go along with a birthday. That want makes the day so special. After picking up some really good looking (who knows how they going to (taste?) donuts, I was so excited to get back home and share the day with Mommy.

Later on Sunday I had the chance to spend the afternoon with my wife alone, and we shared a very nice dinner and movie. Though I think that the movie was one of the worst that I've seen in years? Lulu and I have a tradition of going to Sterling's restaurant in the Silver Legacy. They have a dessert that is to die for, Bananas Foster. Both of us love how they cook it up at your table, and the whole restaurant is looking at you as the flames bast the bananas golden brown. We thought that we might have a difficult time eating the confection, after the meal, but we seemed to finish off most of it? I really thought the whole day was great and if it was my birthday, this would be exactly what I would have loved my special day to be like. However, since this was Lulu's birthday, not mine, I was hoping that this is what she had in mind?

Carter also had a birthday this past week. He turned 10 on the 15th. We told him that we would take him out for the dinner of his choice, and he really wanted to go the the Melting Pot. I think that all the kids love to cook their own food in the garlic oil? So after work on Wednesday we meet at the restaurant and had a family birthday dinner to celebrate a decade for our oldest. Such a nice time had by all of us. We will be having a birthday party for him with his friends next month once school has started.

Tomorrow the Molina-Wilkerson family will be taking a trip to San Francisco so Mom can get some treatment at the UCSF cancer center. Lulu is getting a shot of Estrogen blocking medication, and blood tests to check the effects of the Sutent cancer medication. They might be doing a whole body scan to evaluated the pain that she's having in her hips? This is the first time since last Winter that we've taken the kids down during Lulu's treatment. I'm glad that they have a chance to see what their Mom must go through each month to fight the cancer. I think that it's good the boys see that Mom has more treatment to better her condition, but also see that she is healthier and improving daily. At least we are down to once a month trip to the clinic. Down from the once per week (and sometimes twice per month) they we made last year. One day this will be just a memory of the past, and I'm not sure that we will look back on 2010 fondly, but we will have memories of the recovery that Luz DeLourdes Molina made from Breast cancer.