Wednesday
Thank goodness for good friends working together to make things work well.
Jen dropped off Makenna in the morning at our house on the way to work. Erica came later, dropped off Rya with me (for a playdate with Dexter), and in turn, took Makenna and AJ with her and Jack so she could take the three toddlers to 'preschool orientation'. Jack and AJ are at the same preschool as last year, and Makenna is there this year too.
The following three pictures are just before the big kids headed off with Auntie Erica.
Auntie Erica was kind enough to take and share pictures of the kids enjoying Orientation Day. Here are those pics.
While the big kids were away, the babies played really wonderfully together, mostly with the shape sorter, and later with the piggy bank that counts.
Thanks Erica for taking the kids to orientation!
******Richard was supposed to get his 'retry' on the needle in the back this day (with the guidance of an x-ray), but it got postponed until Thursday. His taste buds were already bothering him Wednesday morning.
Thursday
I worked this day, and Kim came over the night before so she could be my nanny this day which was going to work very well for the first real day of preschool for all the kids. This is just a crazy week for Erica, Jen, and I, in general (first week of school). For Kim too! She started university this week!!!
So, Kim had an early start to the day at around 6/6:30am when I headed to work. Jen dropped off Makenna with Kim on her way to work. Later, Erica came, dropped of Rya with Kim, and took Makenna, AJ, and Jack to preschool. Rya and Dexter played wonderfully for their playdate. Thanks Kim for doing that. Thanks Erica for the Frappe you brought back for Kim! Erica brought the toddlers back, picked up Rya from Kim, and left AJ and Makenna with Kim. Kim was watching Makenna and the boys for today. Thanks Kim!
Makenna and AJ played well and played downstairs a lot, leaving Kim some special time with Dexter.
Here are a couple pictures of crazy lunchtime with Kim. Dexter fell asleep at the table, so he is not present here.
BIG THANKS to Kim and Erica for helping Jen and I work that all out. I feel like breaking into a song about co-operation.
I had a long day at work, and came home to happy children who had eaten their dinner (thanks Kim) and leftovers for dinner for me! Thanks Kim! Richard and Norma came home shortly thereafter. It was a nice night. Kim stayed over a second night so she could just head to school the next day.
*****Richard had his needle in the back today. Wasn't as painful as the five attempts the day before when they hit a nerve, but it was still long, like 45 minutes and they had to switch to a different needle. He has some strong bones. He came home feeling pretty crappy yesterday. Suffice to say, he's sick now.
Friday
-I took the boys along with me to my brunch with my old (as in previous) sorority sisters. We try to get together once a month. Gosh darn it if the boys weren't angels for 2 hours for me!! I actually got to visit. Very nice.
BIG THANKS to my sorority sisters, Jen, Chrissy, and Jill for treating me breakfast today! Awwwww. Sweeties.
-Here's my funny AJ story. Remember a little while ago, I mentioned AJ saying that something wasn't fair. Like I was getting a coffee from Starbucks, but not him? Well today:
As we pull into the restaurant, AJ sees Starbucks, and he says,
"I would like a kid's hot cocoa with whip please mom".
I said, "Well, I'll tell you what. I brought your waters to drink at the restaurant, and when we're finished there, you can get a hot cocoa when I pick up my coffee."
During brunch, he says, "Actually, I think I want a drink from here instead of Starbucks. I really want an apple juice with no water." (I almost always water down his apple juice).
I say, "Are you sure? Wouldn't you rather have a lemonade or hot cocoa from Starbucks?"
He says, "No. I want an apple juice from here."
So, I order him and Dex an apple juice to split.
After brunch, I head to the Starbucks to get my coffee. He says,
"I would like a lemonade with a half shot of raspberry please."
I say, "Ummm, no, you said you wanted an apple juice at the restaurant. You get one special drink."
He says, "But that's not fair. How come you get a drink from the restaurant AND a Starbucks drink, but I don't?"
Obviously, I felt compelled to get him a drink (and Dexter's ice water).
I could've just said, "I'm the mommy", but frankly, I was impressed by his recent care for things to be 'fair'.
*****Richard's day was just a normal chemo day. He was surely sleepy. Dexter had a bunch of crazy wakings this morning. I think I was up with him 5 times from 3am to 6am. It was so weird. I may have been getting up with him, but it definitely woke Richard each time. Richard came home feeling pretty darned sick today. He was good enough to take AJ to wash his hands and brush his teeth before bed, but otherwise, was pretty well K.O.'d on the couch after getting home. Norma did some big time walking today from the hospital to Granville Island and back. I think she's going to be paying for that tomorrow!
I ended tonight by taking AJ with me to pick up some supplies for my classroom. He was a good boy for the venture and I treated him to some Gelato. He got cookies and cream called Strattachello or something like that. He loved it. He wouldn't stop talking about it the whole way home while he finished it off. I've never seen him love and appreciate the taste of something so much in his whole 3.5 years. "mmmmm, wow, this is soooo good mom" over and over again.
More Thanks to be Given
Norma - Thanks again for coming back to help for these couple weeks! It's a tremendous help and relief. I can't imagine how we would've worked this rough spot again without you.
Elva, Tony, and Family (Norma's cousin and her family) - Thanks so much for the beautiful card and the Costco gift card. It will be put to very good use! So thoughtful. I know you read this, so I'll also take this chance to say that Kadin is a handsome little doll!
Jess and Bev (Norma's cousin and her husband) - Thank you so much for lovely card and the monetary gift. This is just so kind of you. Thank you very much.
Continued thanks to everyone who continues to check in on how Richard is feeling and how we (our family) is doing through this. Thanks to everyone for continued well wishes, good vibes, thoughts, and prayers. It's been so helpful to have such an outporing of love from friends and family.
Thank goodness for good friends working together to make things work well.
Jen dropped off Makenna in the morning at our house on the way to work. Erica came later, dropped off Rya with me (for a playdate with Dexter), and in turn, took Makenna and AJ with her and Jack so she could take the three toddlers to 'preschool orientation'. Jack and AJ are at the same preschool as last year, and Makenna is there this year too.
The following three pictures are just before the big kids headed off with Auntie Erica.
Auntie Erica was kind enough to take and share pictures of the kids enjoying Orientation Day. Here are those pics.
While the big kids were away, the babies played really wonderfully together, mostly with the shape sorter, and later with the piggy bank that counts.
Thanks Erica for taking the kids to orientation!
******Richard was supposed to get his 'retry' on the needle in the back this day (with the guidance of an x-ray), but it got postponed until Thursday. His taste buds were already bothering him Wednesday morning.
Thursday
I worked this day, and Kim came over the night before so she could be my nanny this day which was going to work very well for the first real day of preschool for all the kids. This is just a crazy week for Erica, Jen, and I, in general (first week of school). For Kim too! She started university this week!!!
So, Kim had an early start to the day at around 6/6:30am when I headed to work. Jen dropped off Makenna with Kim on her way to work. Later, Erica came, dropped of Rya with Kim, and took Makenna, AJ, and Jack to preschool. Rya and Dexter played wonderfully for their playdate. Thanks Kim for doing that. Thanks Erica for the Frappe you brought back for Kim! Erica brought the toddlers back, picked up Rya from Kim, and left AJ and Makenna with Kim. Kim was watching Makenna and the boys for today. Thanks Kim!
Makenna and AJ played well and played downstairs a lot, leaving Kim some special time with Dexter.
Here are a couple pictures of crazy lunchtime with Kim. Dexter fell asleep at the table, so he is not present here.
BIG THANKS to Kim and Erica for helping Jen and I work that all out. I feel like breaking into a song about co-operation.
I had a long day at work, and came home to happy children who had eaten their dinner (thanks Kim) and leftovers for dinner for me! Thanks Kim! Richard and Norma came home shortly thereafter. It was a nice night. Kim stayed over a second night so she could just head to school the next day.
*****Richard had his needle in the back today. Wasn't as painful as the five attempts the day before when they hit a nerve, but it was still long, like 45 minutes and they had to switch to a different needle. He has some strong bones. He came home feeling pretty crappy yesterday. Suffice to say, he's sick now.
Friday
-I took the boys along with me to my brunch with my old (as in previous) sorority sisters. We try to get together once a month. Gosh darn it if the boys weren't angels for 2 hours for me!! I actually got to visit. Very nice.
BIG THANKS to my sorority sisters, Jen, Chrissy, and Jill for treating me breakfast today! Awwwww. Sweeties.
-Here's my funny AJ story. Remember a little while ago, I mentioned AJ saying that something wasn't fair. Like I was getting a coffee from Starbucks, but not him? Well today:
As we pull into the restaurant, AJ sees Starbucks, and he says,
"I would like a kid's hot cocoa with whip please mom".
I said, "Well, I'll tell you what. I brought your waters to drink at the restaurant, and when we're finished there, you can get a hot cocoa when I pick up my coffee."
During brunch, he says, "Actually, I think I want a drink from here instead of Starbucks. I really want an apple juice with no water." (I almost always water down his apple juice).
I say, "Are you sure? Wouldn't you rather have a lemonade or hot cocoa from Starbucks?"
He says, "No. I want an apple juice from here."
So, I order him and Dex an apple juice to split.
After brunch, I head to the Starbucks to get my coffee. He says,
"I would like a lemonade with a half shot of raspberry please."
I say, "Ummm, no, you said you wanted an apple juice at the restaurant. You get one special drink."
He says, "But that's not fair. How come you get a drink from the restaurant AND a Starbucks drink, but I don't?"
Obviously, I felt compelled to get him a drink (and Dexter's ice water).
I could've just said, "I'm the mommy", but frankly, I was impressed by his recent care for things to be 'fair'.
*****Richard's day was just a normal chemo day. He was surely sleepy. Dexter had a bunch of crazy wakings this morning. I think I was up with him 5 times from 3am to 6am. It was so weird. I may have been getting up with him, but it definitely woke Richard each time. Richard came home feeling pretty darned sick today. He was good enough to take AJ to wash his hands and brush his teeth before bed, but otherwise, was pretty well K.O.'d on the couch after getting home. Norma did some big time walking today from the hospital to Granville Island and back. I think she's going to be paying for that tomorrow!
I ended tonight by taking AJ with me to pick up some supplies for my classroom. He was a good boy for the venture and I treated him to some Gelato. He got cookies and cream called Strattachello or something like that. He loved it. He wouldn't stop talking about it the whole way home while he finished it off. I've never seen him love and appreciate the taste of something so much in his whole 3.5 years. "mmmmm, wow, this is soooo good mom" over and over again.
More Thanks to be Given
Norma - Thanks again for coming back to help for these couple weeks! It's a tremendous help and relief. I can't imagine how we would've worked this rough spot again without you.
Elva, Tony, and Family (Norma's cousin and her family) - Thanks so much for the beautiful card and the Costco gift card. It will be put to very good use! So thoughtful. I know you read this, so I'll also take this chance to say that Kadin is a handsome little doll!
Jess and Bev (Norma's cousin and her husband) - Thank you so much for lovely card and the monetary gift. This is just so kind of you. Thank you very much.
Continued thanks to everyone who continues to check in on how Richard is feeling and how we (our family) is doing through this. Thanks to everyone for continued well wishes, good vibes, thoughts, and prayers. It's been so helpful to have such an outporing of love from friends and family.
