Even though the day was supposed to be about pigs, it rained cats & dogs!
I hope everyone had a good time.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated.
Click here for pictures of LuciaGirl's 1st annual Piggy Palooza!
Happy Birthday to Lucia!
Go Shorty, It's your birthday, we're gonna party like it's your birthday." Happy Birthday sweet Princess Lucia.
Miss Ariella bought you pink Hello Kitty Balloons.
We love you and miss you.
The Chump Change Challenge & Pigcasso Art Exhibit
Here Piggy, Piggy...Show Me the Money!
Now it’s plain common cents (wink, wink) that in this economy, we should make every penny count so…we're going to count up all the change you've got lying around gathering dust.
To make it even more fun, we collecting change in adorable piggy banks that you get to decorate and then we'll display all the decorated piggy banks in an art exhibit!
So design those piggy banks and keep those pennies, nickels and dimes coming in and let's see how much you can gather!
Lucia says "Skulls Rock!"
Lucia started designing very early, All the outfits you see on cartoon Lucia (Blue haired girl) were designed with Lucia.
She (and I) are obsessed with skull design.
When she needed a cover for her head right after brain surgery, she said, "Skull design to cover my skull, makes sense?"
Here are designs Lucia would like. ALL the money made from sales go to Lucia's Foundation to help other kids.
buy unique gifts at Zazzle
Lucia's Foundation Update
Hi everyone.
Some updates for you.
A). The foundation website is up and running - http://www.LGPOF.org.
B.) LGPOF has it's first three fundraisers under its' belt:
1- The Lemonade for Lucia
2- Spreading Lucia's Light
3- Sensei Sevilla's Cake in the Face
All were extremely successful, (no thanks to me but to the proactive people who love Lucia and felt compelled to help honor her life.) See more below and at the Fundraising Page at http://www.lgpof.org
C.) Legal Crap - We have finally won The New York State Dept of Education's seal of approval. Which means we were able to file the NYS Incorporation application, which was also approved. We then were given the foundation's tax id number from US IRS. All these steps allows us to file LGPOF's NYS 501(3)b application.
D.) All funds raised at fundraisers and donations sent will be held safety and securely until the Scientific Task Force makes determinations on research proposals. As it stands right now, if we reach our goal of 2.5 million dollars, Yale University will match it.
E.) All foundation expenses are being donated by whoever handles whatever. For example, all legal fees etc. are being donated by Lucia's family. All expenses for the fundraisers were graciously donated by the people involved with them. We will try to proceed like this for as long as possible to ensure that donations are used for there intended purpose - keeping kids alive.
Lemonade for Lucia
Over the weekend, some of Lucia's friends and fellow classmates volunteered their time to set up lemonade stands all around the Upper East Side of NYC. Through the generosity of the neighborhood, they raised nearly $1,900 in just 3 hours! I tell you, if there weren't child labor laws...just kidding.
No I'm not. Yes I am. Maybe. Let me think about it.
Of course they have a secret weapon - those cute little faces.
I don't think a bunch of adults running up to people asking for money would have the same effect, especially in NYC!
The LuciaGirl Foundation jr. FARTeam ROCKS!
Message from Lucia
:) I was with you in spirit that day. Three things, I always attract:
1 - Friends 2 - Nice weather 3 - Cold, hard cash
(Right daddy? How many times did I lend you twenty bucks?!)
Great job, sweetie pies.
We Love You Too!
We really would not make it through this horrid crisis without you. Every word of encouragement, every email, every hug gives us the strength to hang on for one more moment. The outpouring of love for Lucia and the generosity and support for our family (although not surprising since you guys have never waivered) is so touching.
We are taking it day by day, minute by minute. It's very hard right now to talk about 'hope for the future' but as I've mentioned before, the LuciaGirl Pediatric Foundation (LGPOF) will be an avenue for those of us who refuse to live without a little bit of Lucia in our lives.
All legal business mombo jombo have been filed to obtain nonprofit status and as it stands right now there will be 2 branches of focus. I'll describe them in detail at a later time but for now just think "Poop and Fart."
1) F.A.R.T. - The Funds and Research Team
2) P.O.O.P. - Parents of Oncology Patients
You must wonder why the preoccupation - well, Lucia, as many of you know, loved fart humor and while in treatment at the hospital the fabulous clowns really got to know her and realized that this was the way to make her laugh.
One particular clown that she was extremely fond of even dressed up as a giant whoopee cushion when he came to visit!
She also had a gag fart machine that worked via remote control so when the doctors came to ask questions, instead of answering she would keep a straight face and push the fart button under her blanket.
So...since this is the LuciaGirl Foundation it has to be in keeping with the one, the only LuciaGirl.
The adults board members have yet to be finalized but the kids division board members are already in action. Take note, these kids are going to change the world.
(That's Lucia baby in the middle-first playdate after the brain surgery. She really enjoyed this day, she really missed you guys.)
When not to Fart.
1. In a crowded elevator
2. On a crowded bus
3. In a public library
4. While on a date
5. While giving a speech
6. In church
7. In a crowded classroom
8. In your office when you're alone - someone's bound to walk in immediately afterwards
9. In a movie theater
10. In your car before picking up a family member
*All donations can be made out to LuciaGirl Pediatric Oncology Foundation (LGPOF) - Thanks
Our Sweet, Sweet Angel
After a long, courageous fight our LuciaGirl has gotten her wings and is at peace. Her faith never waivered.
Quote: " As soon as I'm one of God's angels, I'll be completely healed."
Hope, courage, faith, determination are all words that describe Lucia.
Lucia means light and she will be the light that guides us to find a cure.
We will be starting The LuciaGirl Pediatric Oncology Foundation.
She also has a great sense of humor so in lieu of gifts or flowers please consider joining the LuciaGirl
Funds and Research Team (F.A.R.T.) by donating below.
If you prefer to mail in a contribution:
LPOF c/o StyleStation-NYC PO Box 286865 N.Y. N.Y. 10128
'Thank You' cannot express the gratitude we feel for all the help and support from all of you.
God Bless.
We will be posting the LuciaGirl Foundation progress ASAP.
Okay, I'll Just Humor This Guy - Merry Christmas!
Hmmm... I'm not convinced this is the real Santa but he's trying so hard that I'll play along.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lucia has been in the hospital for a few weeks now. Sorry she hasn't been able to call or write but she's looking forward to catching up with everyone. She thanks everyone who has been leaving messages, they really cheer her up.
She unfortunately had to spend Halloween, Her Birthday and Thanksgiving in the hospital but if you know Lucia that didn't stop her from dressing up!
Why did they let the turkey join the band?
Because he had the drumsticks.
That Junie B., She's such a crackup!
Nothing like a little Junie B. Jones comedy to relax a person. I think the seat belt is a bit much though. I had no intentions of speeding down York Avenue in this wheelchair!
Oy Vey...Another Lump to Deal With!
Sorry for the delay in writing but I've been too sick to even get out of bed and typing with one eye is kind of hard. Thanks to everyone for the messages, they really pick my spirits up.
Hey Ms. Lattanzio, I feel much better than when you saw me in the hospital, sorry I couldn't talk much.
Okay, everyone knows that I had a lump on my brain and I had to have surgery and radiation and chemo to get rid of it. And I have a fantastic team of doctors which took great care of me. That lump is gone and my scar is already almost healed. The radiation and chemo were tough but I made it through.
AND THEN... Another *#@*!! lump shows up around my right eye and nose! Yeah, you read right. I thought my eyelids were swelling because of the radiation but it turned out to be another lump probably part of the first lump that was hiding.
So, here we go again. The doctors said they have NEVER seen anything like this. I'm going to have my own chapter in the medical books.
I am now dealing with more radiation and more medicine than I've ever seen in my life. And my grandma must have me on every vitamin ever invented. She's got one for every part of my body, my immune system, my skin, my blood, even my intestines! They must be working because I'm stronger now. I can walk again, no more wheel chair.
Anyway, I'm hoping to come visit school soon if that's okay with Mrs. Freese. Huh? Huh? Is it? Can I? I'm working with the hospital teacher on the math books you sent and I have my writing journal with me and since my eye is open again, I'm reading again too.
Warning: Grandpas can be dangerous!
Three men were skydiving one day and one jumped out of the plane and an apple fell from his parachute. When he landed a little girl was crying. She said an apple fell from the sky and hit her on the head!
The next man jumped from the plane and a brick fell from his parachute. When he landed a little boy was crying. He said because a brick fell from the sky and made a big bruise on my head.
The 3rd man jumped from the plane and a bomb dropped from his parachute. When he landed a boy and girl were laughing really hard. The man asked why are you laughing?
They both said grandpa farted and the house blew up!
What do I have in common with these things?
Lucia like a Mexican Hairless Chihuahua?
Lucia like a Cabbage Patch?
Lucia like a Bald Eagle??!!!!
I THINK NOT!!!!
I'll stick to Lucia like a Puma, thank you very much.
Yes, most of my hair fell out but it's already growing back. In the meantime,
I'll be wearing some snazzy looking chapeaus - that's french for hats. And, no...I am not going to rob a bank. It's just that I have to wear a mask when I'm around a lot of people so I don't catch any germs from all you sneezy, sniffling folks.
A little bump in the rode to recovery.
These treatments are tough but I'll be okay. I had a little setback a few days ago and had to be admitted to the hospital again but they let me out the next day.
Everyone has platelets in their blood. They help you clot and stop bleeding if you get cut.
The treatments made my blood platelets go very, very low so when the radiation irritated my brain too much, it started bleeding. The bleeding in my brain caused me to have some twitching in my face and tongue, kind of like small seizures. So...back to the hospital I went.
They gave me some platelets and some medication to stop the twitching and...back home I went.
Now, I'm really, really, really on house arrest. They won't even let me chase the dog!
SOS! I'm on House Arrest!
The treatments I'm getting have weakened my immune system so I have to basically hide from everyone. Can you believe that I, LuciaGirl, cannot go to camp, cannot go on playdates, nothing! I managed to squeeze one movie (Kung Fu Panda) out of my guards but that's it. Okay, we did make one stop in Payless Shoes, whoopy...
Wii Would Like to Thank Everyone!!
I'm feeling better this weekend, so I would just like to say, " Wiiiiiiii !! "
Thank you everyone who helped buy this wonderful gift.
It's perfect because I'm on house arrest around here but I do need some exercise so playing Wii tennis and bowling is fun.
One week of treatments done - 5 more to go.
Hi everyone. The first week of radiation and medicine really made me feel yucky. I don't have any appetite and I get nausuous alot. I basically go to the hospital in the morning and get treatments and when I get home I'm so tired I just go to sleep for a few hours.
Lucia like a sick Puma...
Message from Lucia's Grandma - Whatever it is you have to do, JUST DO IT.
A few days of rest, recuperation, positive thinking and LuciaGirl suddenly feels the need to kick some Karate butt!
We went to visit her Tae Kwan Do instructors and the next thing I know Lucia's taking the belt test to graduate from orange to purple belt! She was practicing for it right before she went to the hospital and had to miss the graduation/test ceremony.
Okay...wait for it...Guards up, keep your eyes on your target...and she throws a sidekick and cracks the wooden board in two!!
Darn, this kid is cool!
"Everybody Dance Now. Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh!"
Try JibJab Sendables!
Check out the new dance moves my grandpa and I are practicing for the Disco Party we're planning for when I'm done with my treatments.
If anyone has any suggestions as to where we can have it please leave a comment.
Thanks!!
I Feel Like Humpty Dumpty Lumpty - Bump Go Bye Bye.
I had my surgery and even though I had a lot of pain and swelling, I'm feeling better everyday.
Everyone taking care of me at the hospital was so nice.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all my nurses and doctors who made me feel safe, who gave me medicine to help my head and to the surgeons who operated ALL DAY on me to take the bump out.
THANK YOU to everyone who came to see me and sent me mail and presents.
I just love getting mail.
Even the hospital food was pretty good!
Now I know I'm sick in the head.
Anyway, the doctors say I'm improving so fast that they may let me go home since my grandma is a nurse and grandpa is a doctor.
I can't wait to see Tallulah May Puppy, I miss her.
Is it the anesthesia or is there a giant wooden soldier in my room?
Okay, I know I just had a very long, difficult surgery and I know the doctors were messing with my brain and I realize that there are side effects to getting anesthesia so someone tell me... Am I having a Nutcracker hallucination or is there really a giant wooden soldier in my room?
Special thanks to my friends at the Parkinson's Disease Foundation for sending this fun figment of my imagination!
PS. I know my head looks like a swollen pumpkin right now, but if I hear any jokes from you guys, I'm gonna...
Okay maybe I'll take a nap first but after that I'm GONNA....
If you can't go to school, school will come to you.
My teachers came to visit me at the hospital. Most people realize that you should be quiet when coming to a hospital. There are sick people here, ya know!
But not these two. They brought me a gigantic, get-well balloon that when you tap it, it sings, "Don't worry, be happy." Well... it's pretty big and filled with Helium so it kept hitting the walls as they walked down the hall which started the music over and over again. And of course, my room is all the way at the end of the hall. Rowdy teachers, just the way I like it.
I think these two will be lots of fun at my get well party! Stay tuned for more details.
Don't Mess with the Orange Power Ranger
and avoid anything that would reduce my mental growth or my physical health.
I will develop self discipline in order to bring
out the best in myself and in others.
I will use common sense before self defense,
and never be abusive or offensive.
This is Black Belt School. We are dedicated.
We are motivated. We are on a quest to be our best.
Life is full of tests, isn't it. Well I proud to announce that I passed my Martial Arts test this weekend and I have graduated to ORANGE BELT. (I had to karate chop a wooden board and everything. Very cool.)
Big Apple Circus
I went to the circus they other day. When you walk around Manhattan, it just doesn't seem to have room for a circus but take a peek behind Lincoln Center and there it is - The Big Apple Circus!
The circus does a lot for children. The New York School for Circus Arts works with the NYC Public School system and ArtsConnection and established the Young Talent Circus Training Program which teaches children circus arts.
The circus also has a clown care unit, a group of professional clowns, trained in hospital procedures and circus skills, make rounds as "clown doctors" performing for patients.
They also created Circus of the Senses which is a circus performance specifically for children with special needs.
My grandma is always calling me a clown because I love goofy comedy. I guess Mayor Bloomberg agrees with her because he made November 1st (my birthday) "Big Apple Circus Day"!
Wax On. Wax Off. Simple As That.
Mr. Lobo tells of our Karate match: Oh, It's ON. No, Wait ... It's Off Again.
"As I stare up at the roof of the ambulance, I suppose there were a lot of reasons not to except a challenge from LuciaGirl.
First of all, from the locker room to the cage in the center of Madison Square Garden was a really long walk. In retrospect, this was part of her strategy I'm sure: by the time she was gluing the broken glass shards and razorwire to her gloves I was already winded.
I don't really remember much after that ... just a lot of fuzzy images of her staring down at me going, "How do you like me now?" [foot to head] "How do you like me now?" [fist to appendix] and "Quit crying, you sissy!" [appendix to face] ... then there was a whole lot of screaming and begging, mercifully followed by confetti and Hannah Montana songs."
LuciaGirl say: "Ahhh, Lobo San. You fought well, grasshopper. You fine warrior but much better writer. I look foward to our next mighty battle. But...for now...I recommend putting on a bag of frozen peas 'cause your face looks like a pizza!"
(For more of Mr. Lobo's fantastical (is that a real word?) writing see PredatorPress.com for grownups only.)
Miss MaggieMoo and Mario Lopez Cheer Up Some Kids
Mario Lopez teams up with Miss MaggieMoo – the mascot of the MaggieMoo Treatery – to spread some love Tuesday with patients in the pediatric ward at the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital.
They were spreading the love while walking through the pediatric department, knocking on doors and putting smiles on the patient's faces. The tasty ice cream cupcakes, Miss Maggie Moo dolls and room visits by Maggie and Mario gave the patients a moment to forget their pain, have a treat and make a memory.
And You Wonder Where I Get My Wisecracks From.
Here I am minding my own business, trying to survive these early math classes and next thing you know I have a Tae Kwan Do Death Match with some guy name LOBO. Turns out a certain grownup relative of mine went and challenged this guy and now I have to fight him!
This is how it all started: Mr. LOBO says becoming an official honorary White Belt (what the heck does that mean) in karate has improved his self-image. "When you are a trained killing machine -a living weapon- you walk a little taller. With more confidence."
He says he does understand that karate is a strict discipline. "It is for self defense ... not beating up some guy that looks at you weird at the gas station. Violence is always the last resort."
Okay, sounds like Mr. LOBO understands one of the basic principles of martial arts, which is to use common sense before self defense.
But then he says, "...just so I ain't gotta rip the neck off of some smack-talkin' punk blissfully ignorant of my killing prowess, I wear my karate pajamas everywhere. As a warning.
... and I gotta tell you, these are way more effective than my Batman pajamas ever were."
The End
(Wow, this guy needs to come to Ms. Lattanzio's English class.)
So does this Kooky old lady who says she's related to me congratulate him?
Oh nooooooo. She challenges him by making believe she's me and says:
"Okay, that's it! You, in the Batman jammies, outside, now. I'm gonna get all Hong Kong Phooey on your arse. I have my yellow belt now. Don't let the Lil' Mermaid nightgown fool you."
Can you believe this? If I survive I'll let you guys know how it goes.
Pink-a-licious!
Wow! This is the prettiest car I've ever seen in my whole entire life! Pink, small - my kind of car. When I grow up and get my driver's license
(if I learn to ride my bike first) it's all mine. Mwahahaha.
Cameras, Action...
See my "Oh Pleeeeze" face? It got me in the TV studio.
See my "Just one teeny try, pleeeze" face? It got me in front of the microphone.
There I was Bloomberg. Bloomberg is business building that has places where they film the news mostly business news. There were many nice people but lots of security. To get in, one of the security guards had to take a picture of me ( you know I don't mind getting my picture taken) because I was visiting someone and everyone who goes in has to have a pass so that security knows who you are and then they know you're not an intruder or robber.
Once I got my pass and went to the floor, the first thing I noticed was a big table with lots of food like cookies, soups and stuff. This stuff was all free for the people who worked there and guests! I tried to grab as many Oreos as I could but my mom stopped me from taking them all.
The person that we went to visit showed me rooms where celebrities stayed in when being interviewed. I also got to tour where they film all television and radio shows. Very cool.
Rudolph Better Watch His Back, Because LuciaReindeer's Coming To Town.
The year is 2008. The town is New York City. Home of Broadway where careers are made and dreams fulfilled. What's that I hear? Sounds like hooves clip-clopping along. Could it be? Is it possible? Is Santa and his team of reindeers headed this way? Noooo, silly. It's LuciaGirl in the 2008 Yorkville Nutcracker Ballet. Yep, the town where dreams are made and I'm a REINDEER!
Read more about when I found out I was going to be a reindeer...
You Rock, Santa!!
A Dog's Christmas Carol
(sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland)
Dog tags ring, are you listening'?
In the lane, snow is glistenin'.
It's yellow, NOT white I've been there tonight,
Marking up my winter wonderland.
Smell that tree? That's my fragrance.
It's a sign for wandering vagrants;
Avoid where I pee, it's MY pro-per-ty!
Marked up as my winter wonderland.
In the meadow dad will build a snowman,
following the classical design.
Then I'll lift my leg and let it go Man,
So all the world will know that it's
mine-mine-mine!
Straight from me to the fence post,
flows my natural incense boast;
Stay off my TURF, this small piece of earth,
I marked it as my winter wonderland."
Bill Thacker
What is a Mummy's Favorite Music?
RAP MUSIC!
Get it? Wrap music.
I sure hope there was a lot of wrapping going on in the past few days.
Does Santa have an e-mail or do I have to mail this the old fashion way?
Okay Santa. I've kept my end of the bargain.
I've tried to be pretty darn good this year. (mostly)
1- An art kit
(An artist, without an art kit, now really!)
2- Cabbage Patch
(Notice I underlined the word Kid, not baby, not newborn.)
3- A new lunchbox
(Maybe they'll get the idea and give me home lunch instead of making me eat that nasty school stuff!)
4- A Bean Bag Chair.
(I know my room is too small, so how about a new room, then. Okay, I thought you might change your mind about the chair).
5- A Chemistry Set
(How am I supposed to make my secret potions to control the world?)
6- A Cash Register
(You know how I feel about my moola. I need a place to hide the stash.)
7- A 19" TV/ DVD Combo (Flat screen of course).
8- An ipod
(This is strictly a business decision, you never know when an audition is coming.)
9- An Xbox 360. ( Am I pushing my luck here?)
10- DS video games
What Do All These Items Have In Common?
Yes they are all belts.
More specifically, they are all yellow belts.
But the one that counts for me is...
I passed my yellow belt test in Tae Kwan Do.
Oh yeah. Look out. I'm dangerous now, uh huh.
Pow! Hong Kong Fooey baby!
Kids Charity Fun Run
The Ronald McDonald House provides temporary housing for pediatric cancer patients and their families.
Oh boy was it cold that day so I put my race tee shirt on over my clothes and I borrowed a pair of gloves ( a little to big for me but they were warm) and a headband. I was ready. I planned on running like the Road Runner. All you saw was smoke coming from my feet! Okay, maybe that was my own breath coming from my frozen face.
Ah, nice & warm in the car on the way to the race.
Umm,not so warm anymore waiting for the event to start.
Oh I'm ready now. Put me in coach. I can win this thing!
Yes! Victory is mine!
The Lion King on Broadway
The story of The Lion King takes place in the Lands of Africa, where a lion rules over the other animals as king. The main character in the story is Simba. Simba's father, King Mufasa, is the lion king. He rules the kingdom with kindness and wisdom. Mufasa's younger brother, Scar, realizes that he is no longer the heir to the throne and plots to kill Simba and Mufasa. Get Lion King Tickets
Me likey Broadway, you should have seen all the people coming and going!
This movie is great. The music, the colors, the action stays very interesting all the way till the end. Warning: Most parents will have trouble with the way Disney set up the navigation so it's probably best to let the kids figure it out. Grown-ups, just remember to breathe, close your eyes and try very hard not to throw the remote control. What Costume Should I wear?
Okay, everyone knows what a big deal Halloween is to me. It's fun to dress up and the party we have every year is slammin'. It starts in the lobby, which is decorated all spooky and scary and we go trick or treating in groups all over the building. Our parties are getting famous. More and more people from the area show up every year.
The other reason this time of year is so cool is because it's pretty close to my birthday!!! I've worn a diffrerent costume every year and I'm getting a little worried now because I usually have my whole outfit planned by now. If these people who call themselves my family don't take me shopping soon everything will be sold out and I'm going to have to wear some lame "make-it-yourself" outfit like my grandma's old witch hat and some black boots. (She tried that one on me last year!)
And the Winner is...
I finally decided which costume to wear on Halloween. It's a big deal for me because I love dressing up and it's Halloween and since my birthday is so close, it's also Celebrate ME day!
Soooo, I really have to choose my outfit carefully. When I saw this, I knew it was the one. This year I was an Asian Princess.
Go Shorty, it's your birthday. We're gonna party like it's your birthday.
Ok, What Are You Feeding This Dog?
I think she's a dog. She's growing so fast, maybe she's a baby lion! Remember Tallulah that we rescued, all small and frightened? Well, look at her now, just a few weeks later and she's only 5 1/2 months old! We luv her...God Bless Stray From the Heart for pulling her out of that shelter. Don't buy a pet, always check the shelters, there's a poor pet waiting there to be loved.
Why Was 6 Afraid of 7?
Because 7 8 9!
Get it?
7 eight (ate) nine!
Wacca, Wacca. I crack myself up!
Owww! I Karated Myself. That Hurted!!
When you're a beginner, you start with a white belt. As you accomplish certain skills you earn stripes and then finally you move on to the next color belt which for me will be yellow.
This past month I earned a red stripe for working on Intensity skills. You have to do the moves and techniques strong and with focus. You just can't throw your arms and legs around like wet noodles.
We are also training with weapons already. I'm learning how to use nunchucks. The beginner ones are foam and plastic but I found out the hard way (like when I popped myself in the mouth) that foam and plastic can still hurt.
Man, I felt like crying but I was able to suck it up and keep going.
Everyone says I'll laugh about it someday but right now I don't find my big, fat, swollen lip very funny!
