January of 2011 started off with a painful punch to the stomach. Alex, Maya and Kelly came to take me out for my birthday as they do every year, but this time — a night I have loved annually for years with them (and, let’s be honest, MANY years…) — came with horrific news. Five-year-old Maddie James had just been diagnosed with an inoperable, malignant brain tumor called DIPG [Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma]. Maddie’s mom Kajsa was a childhood friend of Alex’s husband that she quickly became close to and even more so when they had babies at the same time. Back when they were born, I was having my second child and had just moved back to San Diego (from LA) and often headed up to Orange County to crash their play dates that included other long time friends of Alex’s who were also experiencing life with their first child. As a result, my kids and I attended the majority of their first birthday parties, including Maddie’s. And Maddie came to my son’s first birthday which involved his favorite music teacher leading us in songs. Maddie was the hit of the party! She kept jumping up into the middle of the circle, dancing and was adorable! My mom repeatedly asked me, “Who is that little girl?!” Like everyone else who has ever met Maddie, she captured our hearts once again that day. And, it cracked me up that [Read more…] about Best of Breezy Mama 2011