My poor unloved child. Only 5 boxes in the mail, 42 email messages/comments/posts and somewhere in the range of 22 cards. Doesn’t anyone love a cancer kid anymore!??
Seriously, what an awesome outpouring of love today for Peyton. I had her sitting on my lap, I’m reading her email and comment post after card and all she really has to say is “Show me that picture where I have cake on my face again! I’m so funny.” Yes, you are my angel, and staggeringly humble too.
But I thank you for letting me know all the awesome people who are supporting us and lifting us up with your constant encouragement. You guys ROCK!!
I would love to tell you that Peyton and I spent a lovely day together, wallowing in a mother/daughter lovefest. But after celebrating Saturday, Tuesday, AND this morning at 6 AM when she slapped me on my head and let me know “my birthday started”, I sent her off with her Grandma for her usual Wednesday spoiling and spent the day celebrating without her. Whooo hoooo! Party on.
Lots of stuff got done, I even had time for a hair appointment. The kids’ comments regarding the highlight job was “wow, mom, it’s totally in a pattern” and “when are you going to get the rest of the hairs done?”….as if I was so cheap I told them to just do the pertinent hairs. It was depressing to realize that coloring my hair was no longer a frivolity, I need to do it to cover up the grays that seem to be popping up like long lost relatives after a winner lottery ticket. I also realized that I now officially have “news anchor” hair. It’s smooth, it’s round and because the hairdresser used enough product to style an entire small Indonesian country, it’s hard as a rock.
Everyone’s wanting to know how the transition is going with Peter being in GA. First I shall confess an ugly, dirty secret. Pete’s actually in Alabama. ALABAMA, you say?? Yes, Alabama. His new job has several offices and the one he’s working in is right over the AL/GA border. So, the apartment he got was close to work and not in GA, but in Alabama. You know there are things about that situation that I’m just aching to write. When we make the big move, we will be locating into the south Atlanta suburb area.
Overall, things are going well. I’m getting some stuff accomplished around the house, I’m keeping the kids busy so that they have less down time to think about how not having their dad here really bites. It took me 2 years to get Pete to make his own coffee and now I’m back to making it myself each morning…plus, I keep making full 12 cup pots and I have a fairly obvious hand tremor and the beginnings of a facial tic from all the caffeine.
It really doesn’t bother me much until the kids have gone to bed, the house gets quiet and I have to talk to my husband on the computer. I miss having him here so we can ignore each other in the living room. I’m enjoying the extra closet space and not having to call dibs on the bathroom after a car trip, but other than that, I’m just missing Pete.
Speaking of bathrooms, I have to let you in on Rachael’s latest. Yesterday, she come crashing into the bathroom, butt-nekkid, ready to hop in the shower and announces “Nathaniel’s on the other potty!” As I am on the one in the room she has just invaded, I look at her as if to say “OCCUPIED!” She looks at me, she stops and thinks for a minute and then asks the most BOY question I have ever heard.
“Can I just go in the sink?”
No, you can’t. Not just because it’s disgusting, I brush my teeth in that sink. But frankly, I think it might be physically impossible….unless she plans to stick her entire butt in the sink and go….which might just be worth the bleaching of the sink to watch her try.
Anyways. The kids are doing pretty well so far without dad. No big outbursts, no unstoppable sobbing and we have yet to hit the first big argument that ends in “I want daddy here!” It’s been non-stop since he left, and this weekend gets even busier. On Thursday night we are going to the International Mall, where the Children’s Cancer Center employees and volunteers will be taking all the kids to Build-A-Bear, Chick-Fil-A, and as many other places-that-require-a-dash-in-their-name as they can find. The parents will be heading to dinner as a group.
Warning: Pete is totally contagious. I have caught his geeky strand of sickness. In typing that we’re going to the International Mall, I actually produced the thought “Oh! The Mac store is there.” I am so ashamed. In 11 years he has turned me into a football-watching, sci-fi loving techno-geek. They’ll probably make me trade my ovaries in for a ticket to ComicCon…and just the fact that I know what that is shows the rapid advancement of my disease.
Friday the CCC is throwing a birthday bash for Mathew Gliddon, who is inpatient still, but will be getting a pass to celebrate his big day. We’re looking forward to bringing a big ball of happy into his day.
Friday night the kids and I are heading to Orlando to stay at the Gaylord Palms…which is the most gorgeous hotel that I’ve never stayed at, but heard tons about…and then going to the ICE exhibit on Saturday, courtesy of the CCC.
I can just hear Peyton in the ICE exhibit, where the temperature is kept at 9 degrees.
“This place is FREAKING cold!”
Yesterday, when she was trying to blow out the trick candles on her cupcakes at the CCC, she finally backed away from them and told Dana “Those candles are freaking me OUT!” Great thinking there, Children’s Cancer Center staff! The kid already has cancer and you’re going to put her into respiratory distress trying to blow out a trick candle. Nice.
Then Sunday we have a Christmas party for the Big and Little Buddies to swap some gifts and have some fun. We’re looking forward to seeing Eddie and Lilly before they head home to their families for the school break.
I plan to sleep all day Monday.
f.r.o.G…fully relying on God
–Anissa
