Knitters--Check Out This Blog Giveaway!

My e-maginary friend Lona raises sheep, knits and spins, and has an etsy.com shop. She is giving away a knitting kit on her blog--click on Farming in the shade: Bloggy Giveaway! to enter!

Be sure to stop by and read her blog as well--she has the coolest sock knitting machine!!!

Camping in the Back Yard

I am declaring this the beginning of Operation Create Family Memories. Last night we camped out in the back yard, and tonight the boys and I are sleeping in the tent once again. Joe prefers to sleep in his own bed tonight. Hank the Cowcat will be happy for the company. I'm sure he freaked out last night because all his people were outside with out him.


My brother S and his wife K sent us a package that arrived in the mail today--hotdog/marshmallow roasting sticks! Thanks S&K! We put them to good use already tonight and roasted some marshmallows. Last night we cheated and ate mini smores cookies from Honey Maid--they're all the taste without all the work!

Can we please just roast marshmallows now?

As you can see, we are indeed crammed into the back yard with the tent and the outdoor fireplace. This is the way memories are made, folks.

What are you planning to do this summer?

Where Does He Get This Stuff?

Spiff is in the back yard with Entropy Boy. They are always in their own little world back there and forget that the whole neighborhood can hear them and can look out their back windows and see them.

Spiff is back there doing accents. First we get "Mama mia!" and an Italian-American accent. Ok, he could be getting that from relatives, but I don't think so.

Then he switches over to Norwegian-accented English. I grew up hearing it, but he hasn't heard it much at all. He's got the accent and the sing-song sound down.

Then he breaks into a made-up rap, complete with percussion sounds. I have no idea where that one came from.

This is the same kid who, at the age of 6, declared in the backyard "I feel a song coming on" and started belting out a show tune.

The same kid who says he is waaaaay too shy to join the drama club.

Monsters vs. Aliens 3-D

Today's guest blogger is Spiff, here to tell you about the movie he and I went to see today:

...OK OK. I'm here. So what do I talk about? Oh. yeah. The movie. Its hard to explain. If this is not descriptive enough, try to see it yourself. So a summary is: A girl gets hit by a meteorite on her wedding day, she starts glowing, LITERALLY GLOWING, and turns into a monster (still as her conscious self) and with her 'monster' buddies fights an alien. End of movie.

I'm Tired of Having Cancer

I've done the surgery. I've completed chemotherapy. I've completed radiation therapy. My hair is growing back--I even had to shave my legs last week.

At what point do I not "have cancer" any more? At what point do I cease to wonder and worry? My oncologist didn't really have any set answers for me today. We are treating a microscopic disease that we didn't even know was there until I found a lump. I have an Rx for tamoxifen and will start taking that as soon as the prescription is filled (we are doing it mail order). I will be on some drug or other for years. I could still have cancer cells swimming around in my body, and hopefully the drugs will keep them from starting to collect and grow anywhere.

The cancer could come back, or it could not. We just have to watch and wait. Some days that just makes me want to scream.

I don't get my life back--not the way it was before. I never get to be complacent about it again. That. just. stinks.

Could you pray for some peace for me? I'm struggling today. Thanks.

Still Peeling

Not that you really wanted to know or anything. The pain has mostly gone because my skin has started to crack and peel so much that it is no longer feeling "too small" for me.

Think of your worst sunburn ever. Then think of getting it about 5 days in a row and what your skin would do afterward. Yeah. It's like that.

Gross.

Only Two of Us will Be in Church Easter Sunday

Spiff and I will go to Easter Sunday services tomorrow while Joe stays home with Entropy Boy. Why? Because Entropy Boy, who just finished up amoxicillin on Thursday for strep and scarlet fever, woke us up late Friday night with a barking cough. We spent some time in the bathroom letting him breathe in shower steam, gave him a few puffs on his inhaler, and put him back in bed with the steamer.

I took him to the doctor (thank you Ped. Healthcare for having weekend office hours!) and he has croup and strep (again!). He's on azithromycin for the strep and has steroids I need to give him tonight before bed for the croup. He's not allowed at church because he won't have been on the abx for 24 hours by the time services start.

I am so glad the boys have spring break after Easter. Entropy Boy's classroom will have the chance to air out and let those germies die for a week.

Radiation Therapy is Finished

I'm done! I'm done! Praise God, I'm done!

To the tune of "Peace Like a River"

I've got skin like a lizard,
I've got skin like a lizard,
I've got skin like a lizard,
Under my aaaaaaarm!


Yes, I am peeling and it's pretty ugly. It may get worse in the next 7-10 days before it gets better. But in 2-4 weeks I should start feeling like myself again.

Meanwhile, I got tons of hugs from the Hunter Radiation Therapy people and a graduation certificate because today was my last day. I don't see the radiation oncologist again for a *year*.

Joe came home early from work and picked up the boys from school. They stopped off and got me flowers.

We all went out to eat at Kobis, the Japanese steak house in town. Believe me, it was a hard sell to get the boys excited to go. I finally pulled up the website for Spiff and the video of the hibachi chef convinced him it might be tolerable. When we got there, we had to walk on a little bridge over a koi pond. There was a Japanese drum on a carved stump. There were bonsai. They started thinking this might be ok.

When the soup course came, Spiff fell in love with it. Fried onion soup--who knew? Meanwhile, Entropy Boy was having fun slurping off the Chinese soup spoon. Then the chef rolled up with his cart and the show began. I won't give you a blow-by-blow, but let's just say the boys have a new favorite restaurant.

Now we're back home (it is a school night, after all) and Entropy Boy is upstairs in the tub, dreaming of koi.

I Have Frozen Veggies in My Armpit

And they are there at my doctor's suggestion.

My skin under my arm has been getting redder and redder. It is so tight that it hurts to raise my arm. It has been keeping awake at night because every time I roll over the pain wakes me up. This morning a portion of the skin started to peel.

So today was my doctor-visit day and she suggested a bag of cold peas under my arm to bring down swelling. The nurse gave me supplies to do saline soaks 3 times a day before I use the cream or Aquaphor. Of course, I didn't do any of it today because I took a 2 1/2 hour nap after picking up Spiff. Entropy Boy was already home with scarlet fever.

So now I'm sitting with frozen veggies in my armpit while pasta cooks on the stove. The boys are learning opera via Bugs Bunny. Eh. Stranger things have happened.