7 days

What a week...

Today: 

We woke up to 4 or so inches of snow. 

Lovely compacty snow. 

With lots of fat snowflakes tumbling out of the sky. 

No wind. 

Just perfection. 

Yesterday:

I did some Christmas shopping for Zoe. 

And wrapped gifts while the girls were at school. 

Watched more of Breaking Bad Season 2 with Chad. 

We decided to watch the show after it completed its hurrah on television. 

We are slow like that. 

I've been getting the seasons from the library and have already put my reserve in for Season 3. 

 

Thursday:

Mall. 

Dance class. 

School. 

Piano lessons. 

My cousin's house by 10 am. 

Breaking bad news to Zoe. 

Tears from Zoe. 

Wednesday:

Woke up to sad news. 

My uncle passed away. 

My mom's brother. 

Sudden and unexpected. 

We just saw him on Sunday. 

He seemed okay. 

But illness can strike quickly and without remorse. 

It has a job to do and it takes no prisoners. 

Just casualties. 

Too young. 

He was too young. 

Tuesday:

Christmas shopping after school. 

Wrapped more gifts. 

Mailed Christmas cards. 

I did three different styles this year (long story!)

Mailed letters to Santa. 

Gigi does want more but doesn't like to write, so this is her short and to the point letter. 

Monday:

Cleaned my house. 

Sunday:

Family Christmas party at my place. 

My mother's side. 

We had ham sandwiches, lots of dips and veggies, cookies, pie. 

Always pie. 

Family and laughter and gift giving and more laughter. 

And more pie. 

Adding a day here...

Last Saturday:

Our girls participate every year in our dance company's annual charity dance performance. 

That is when Zoe isn't sick from her cancer treatments, but we should be done with that crap now...knock on wood. 

We raise money for the gift tree the Salvation Army sponsors for underprivileged children. 

7 Days

I've been a coughing mess all week long and it's continued into some sort of weird corn-harvest-induced cold.

But I've managed to take some non-shaking pictures of what's been going on around here. 

Gotta love the stability button on cameras these days. 

My mom has yet to find hers.

Yesterday-Sunday:

I sneezed, no lie, 30 times in a row.  

I was spent after that. 

Saturday:

The girls and I went to an owl program at our local conservation nature center. 

Chad had to work (story of his life.)

My childhood friend Jacques runs the Illinois Raptor Center with Jane and they always put on a great educational show. 

We saw two live owls and then the girls dug into an owl pellet. 

Owl pellets are horked up by these creatures and consists of hair and bones that the owls can't digest. 

Friday:

The girls are going to ride in Grandpa's convertible on Friday for their school's Homecoming parade. 

I have made some big posters to put on the side of his shiny red Corvette. 

My dad is a graduate of this school district (kind of...his school merged about 10 years ago with the neighboring town so it's got a different name now) and our girls are excited to be a part of this Star Wars themed Homecoming parade. 

So, Zoe and her friend Ally are going to ride on the back of Grandpa's convertible wearing storm trooper masks and I made these blonde Princess Leia buns for Gigi to wear as she sits in the passenger seat throwing candy as we pass in front of her primary school. 

Thursday:

Just a regular day. 

School. 

Gigi's dance class. 

Zoe's piano class. 

Zoe takes piano at Millikin University where Chad works and we have been eating dinner there on Thursdays. 

Chad's restaurant The Bistro is serving these kick-ass sweet potato fries with a chipotle/ranch dip that I eat every, single Thursday. 

Wednesday:

Zoe had a doctor appointment with Dr Brandt. 

Just a regular blood draw kind of appointment. 

But every appointment makes me want to barf. 

This was the first appointment for Zoe where she didn't have the help of her port. 

It was removed in September and she was super nervous for two days because she would have to get her blood drawn out of her arm. 

We put numbing cream on an hour before. 

She was brave and great right up to 12 seconds before the needle went in. 

Then tears. 

Poor girl. 

Our AWESOME nurse Kelly got it on the first poke, got her sample in lightening speed, and threw on a sparkle band-aid.

Zoe got a huge Jamba Juice after this appointment. 

My barfiness didn't go away until later that evening when Kelly called me to say the bloodwork was great. 

Whew. 

The feeling will return in December when she has another appointment. 

I'll write another post soon about the struggle I have concerning these appointments. 

Tuesday:

I don't remember Tuesday. 

Monday:

The girls made a friend in the yard...

7 Days

This last week has brought about much change for one member of our house. 

It's been hot. 

And some lying has been done. 

Today:

Zoe has been hanging out a lot on the couch this afternoon because of circumstances that occurred yesterday (see below).  

She wants to watch one thing on television. 

Gigi wants to watch something else. 

Back and forth. 

Bickering. 

Arguing. 

Mom and dad have both come to Zoe's

aid by grabbing the remote and looking through the Direct TV guide. 

Then telling Gigi loudly "sorry, but Goosebumps/Uncle Grandpa/Octonauts isn't on right now.  Zoe can watch Adventure Time/Gumball/whatever other junky show is on that she wants to watch."

Zoe isn't feeling so hot, so we are giving her tv time as first dibs. 

The shows that Gigi does want to watch are indeed on. 

We are lying to her because she can't read the Direct TV guide yet. 

Yet. 

And then Zoe, the magnificent reader and truth-teller extraordinaire, bursts out with "But, Goosebumps/Uncle Grandpa/Octonauts IS on!"

Sigh...

Her problem now. 

Friday:

Zoe had surgery today. 

We had to get up before the roosters and drive the 45 minutes to the hospital with the stars overhead and the coffee hot in our travel mugs. 

She got her implanted port removed. 

Her first port was inserted under her skin in October of 2010. 

It has been used to take blood out of her body and to put chemo into her body. 

It had to removed because of infection. 

Then a new port was put in. 

This was her fourth port surgery and should be her last. 

This port was big and stuck out. 

We had a nickname for it. 

Nothing fun like Madge or Petunia Port. 

It was called The Peach Pit That Got Stuck On The Way Down. 

Because that's what it looked like. 

For real. 

So, she got her goofy juice (Versed) and went down to surgery around 8 in the morning. 

They gave her gas sedation through a mask that she had coated in berry scented lipgloss. 

For those that aren't familiar with pediatric surgery, this is a trick they use to make things go smoother. 

That and they give kids surgical hats covered in skulls and hearts to make everything seem so cool. 

We saw her again in the recovery room where she cried, vomited, slept, cried, vomited, got a new Barbie from the hospital, felt good enough to get dressed, then hitched herself into a wheelchair for a ride down to our car. 

Then we drove her home. 

She slept on the way back, but later chastised us for stopping at McDonald's without getting her anything.

"Ummm, you were sleeping?"

"I could smell it!!"

Thursday:

Gigi had her first dance class of the new season and whooped it up with her buddies. 

While I chatted with my friend Dawn in the waiting area about her new baby "little tiny man" and her new found adoration of Downton Abbey since she's been on maternity leave. 

I've told her about Call The Midwife. 

She. 

Would. 

Love. 

It. 

Wednesday:

It was hot and the girls got out of school an hour early so we headed to CherryBerry for an afternoon treat and to get homework done. 

I had asked Zoe's teacher for work that she would be missing on Friday so she wouldn't have to worry about school over the weekend. 

She got it all done while enjoying her cup of yogurty goodness. 

Then we went home to swim. 

The weather was forecasted to get cooler and it was probably the last good day to swim after school. 

Tuesday:

It was another scorching day.

Gigi and I went to the mall before school. 

She scored a new pair of light up sneakers. 

Those things are great in movie theaters. 

Gigi and I went swimming after school (which was an early dismissal) and then met dad at the local Mexican joint for dinner. 

Zoe was with the grandparents and ate dinner with them. 

Monday:

Let's see...it was hot. 

I think I had a sundae at DQ for lunch. 

Because it was hot. 

Sunday:

The Bears played and almost embarrassed their fans again. 

But they came out on top. 

Mostly because the other team started a fight at the end of the game and we got a first down out of it. 

Game over suckers!

7 days

My life in the last seven days.
It's going to be uber-exciting so if you have a weak ticker or faint easily, stop reading now.
For the rest of you, here's the excitement of my life...

Today-
-went to CherryBerry
-dropped oldest child off at her cousin's house for a sleepover
-have had to listen to youngest child say over and over and over "what do you think Zoe is doing now?"

Yesterday-
-swam
-ate berries from the yard
-swam
-happy I don't have neighbors who can see me dancing to Car Wash on my pool deck in my Walmart swim suit
-had a Elam's rootbeer from Del's
-discovered Gigi wants Hot Buns for Christmas

Thursday-

-took girls to girl friends' house to play

-gossiped with girls mom about other people we know and some I don't

-wrangled a dog and a cat to vet

-now get to administer a tiny pill to a cat twice a day for the rest of his fancy feline life

Wednesday-

-farrier came to trim pony's hooves

-it rained

-spent rest of day smelling like a wet equine.

Tuesday-

-swam with girls at friend's dad's totally awesome in-ground pool

-gossiped with friend

-friend and I go way back, all the way to high school

-went with high school friend and our kids to library event in evening

-gossiped with high school friend about people we knew at the library

-giggled and snickered

-sucked down a blizzard at DQ

Monday-

-I don't remember Monday.

Last Sunday-

-swam

-marveled at the fish-like abilities of my kids

-ate berries from the yard

-marveled at my kids some more

7 Days

A few things from the last 7 days...

On Tuesday I witnessed our hermit crab Rascal remove his body from one shell to another and it was the most hideous thing I've ever seen.

His body that's encased within the shell is large, bulbous, white, and kinda wet.

I barfed in my mouth a bit and want a cat to scratch my eyes out.

On Monday Zoe had her monthly blood draw to make sure the leukemia is staying away.

It's still staying away (Yay!) and Dr. Niebrugge said she can come every two months for blood draws now (Double Yay!)

On Sunday we were in Columbus.

In Ohio, ya know.

And upon the recommendation of our dear friend Z, we had some ice cream.

But ice cream that takes your taste buds to a new and exciting place.

Where pistachios and honey intermingle.

And where goat cheese makes a cheesecakey flavor in your cup.

Brambleberry crisp enters your mouth and you let out a deep and satisfied sigh.

A place called Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.

On Saturday we explored The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium with Chad's cousin Melissa and her family.

We saw koalas, elephants, manatees, okapi, gorillas, stingrays, moose, and polar bears.

It was a perfect day weather-wise and company-wise.

On Friday we drove through two bad rain storms and a dust storm.

For a few minutes, I thought I had time traveled back to the 1930's and I was a victim of The Great Dust Bowl.

That dust-dirt was some scary stuff.

Last Thursday...I don't remember last Thursday.

Wednesday of last week the horse vet came to give Buttercup her spring shots.

She got three shots and did the "bugged-out-eyes pony look" for each one.

Oh, and I had to follow the goats around to get a poo sample for the vet to check.

Update: Day 8...we have to make an emergency run to Petsmart this morning because Rascal has no shell! Jesse booted him out of his and he's hiding under the log tunnel in the crabitat and he's naked and vulnerable.

Ewwwwww.