So Much To Tell You, I Don't Even Know Where to Start

My Boys Having Picnic-Movie-Lunch in the Living Room




The Boys Playing the Back Yard



























Grannie (Norma) headed home today.

We had a special dinner last night (Friday night) for Grannie. It was a group effort. Grannie picked up the shrimp scampi and baguettes. I got the kids fed their dinner and bathed. Richard cooked up the scampi and the edamame beans. The three of us got to sit down to a nice kidless dinner. (The boys were playing while we were eating). I gave Norma a card with some more personal words of thanks, but.....
A big thank you to Grannie again for all the things I thanked her for before, and so much more...
good company
financial help
errands like groceries and prescription pick up
looking after her boy, so I can look after mine
putting up with my weird ways
and the beautiful card she gave me!
There's so much more. She knows it. I know it.
You know, we've realized a lot of things we have in common through all of this. Like she can finish my sentences sometimes....
*about jeans that are too tight that you only wear if you're going to be standing for a couple hours
*about how the Roots Village purse is without a doubt the best purse ever
*about gagging while brushing your teeth
She totally gets me, and I think me her, as well. "A little left of centre" is how she describes us. Yup, she knows me.

AJ got to go with Grannie and Daddy to the airport tonight to see Grannie's plane and to say good bye!

We'll miss you Grannie! See you soon! Come back anytime (but hopefully not under the same circumstances of course!).
Richard's Getting Better

His numbers are coming up. He's starting to feel better. He's still not able to take deep breaths, he's got a cough starting, and he's not feeling A-okay, but he's feeling better and got his taste buds back.

I took him to his appointment today and it was short and sweet. And he doesn't have to go back until Monday.

On October 15th, he has a CT Scan, I think. I can't remember already. We're thinking, once the results are back from that about his fungal infection, they'll start his last round of consolidation chemo after that.

So, my suspicions were confirmed today by a nurse that not only does the chemo affect you worse each round, but it takes longer for your numbers to come up and you to get better each time.

Richard's booked himself into the Cancer Lodge for what he expects will be the month that he's dealing with the chemo. It's easier than dealing with the driving back and forth. Assuming that the next round will be even worse on him than this horrible round, he'll probably need to be at the hospital every day for three weeks again, at least. So, instead of getting a volunteer driver each time, or me taking the boys with us almost every time, it makes more sense to pay the $30/day (with his meals included) for him to stay at the Cancer Lodge. The bad part is, he won't be coming home to his family each day. The good part is, he can focus on getting better and can get some computer stuff done, not to mention keep away from me (a teacher who brings germs home all the time) and the kids (who also bring germs home all the time). He'll have a car with him so he can drive to get stuff when he's able to drive. I'm not sure how the visiting will go. We'll play that by ear. Hopefully, this will be the best way for him to resist getting sick this time.

There are lots more details I'm missing. When Richard's home tomorrow, I'll encourage him to give you more details, like his $6000 drugs he has to take.


Thanks Gram

So, Norma was to be packing and getting ready to leave today (Saturday). My dad was supposed to be back Friday night from his business trip. So, I figured that I'd drive Richard to his appointment with the boys and then visit my dad with the boys while Richard was at the hospital.

My dad's flight got delayed, so I asked my mom if she could take the boys for the day. She, of course, as always, said yes. So, I met mom in the morning at our halfway point with the boys 'all packed' and she took them to her place to have some fun!

Thanks mom. The boys had fun, and Richard and I had a nice day.


Thanks Grand-Dan

So, my dad's flight had been delayed by a day which I figured meant he wouldn't be home until Saturday night which is why I asked my mom to watch the kids. So, imagine my surprise when I called to check up on my dad around 11:15am and he was in the airport getting his bags!

So, when Richard's appointment finished way earlier than I expected, we headed for lunch with Dad at The Flying Beaver. Richard who only just has his tastebuds back was able to eat the Beef Dip he's been literally dreaming about through this whole round!

So, thanks Dad for lunchy/dinner and a full tank of gas too!!




Happy Housewarming Grandpa Clark

So, Richard's dad's dad, Grandpa Clark, has moved into Richard's Aunt Elaine's duplex that's she's fixed up just right for him. Happy Housewarming Grandpa Clark!




Auntie Erica and My Boys

Erica took some pics while she had the boys the week before.


Baking! And they brought some cookies home. Now that I see these pics, I think it was probably a good idea for the man with the compromised immune system to skip out on these delicious bites! YAY more for me.






This is why people think they're twins.


Same age.


Same blond hair.

Same skin tone.


Same blue eyes.

Do they look alike? No. But could a stranger think they're related? Sure.











Awwwww. Thanks for those cute pics, Erica!!!



More Fun Thanks to Auntie Erica

I like to think I've made up some pretty cool games over the years, but I can't take the credit for this one!!!

When I picked up the boys from Auntie Erica this week, she had been making a cool game for the kids in her classroom. It was an ice cream sundae building game that used 'word families'. With AJ doing all this reading lately, this was a great idea to use to keep the reading fun!

So, here's AJ's game that I finished tonight. Actually, it's about 7 games because there were so many word families I knew he could read, I was able to make enough so we wouldn't get bored with the same words all the time.

I just left out the 'super-E' word families like _ike _ide _ice _ame etc. He doesn't get the super-E concept yet. Here's a pic!





Thanks for the great idea Auntie Erica. More ways to have family fun. Okay, well Dexter doesn't play it, but you know what I mean!






I'll have to catch you up on the boys a different day, as I am too tired. It's 11pm. Put a fork in me, I'm done!