"LIFE CHANGING EVENTS"

Week #2 of DI #2

a.) Neil Armstrong taking the first steps on the moon.

b.) Jonas Salk inventing the vaccine for polio.

c.) The discovery of penicillin.

d.) The Wright Brothers taking flight for the very first time.

Yes, all these things were amazing, inspiring, and did much to benefit the advancement of the human race. But we had an event of such unbelievable magnitude take place here this week that I believe the history books will have to be re-written to include this earth-shattering incident. My palms were sweaty; my heart soared ….. are you ready to share in the mind-blowing, wonderful news?

KENDRIE LEARNED TO PUMP HERSELF ON THE SWING IN THE BACKYARD!!!!!

Now your first thought might be, “Well good God I would hope so, she’s four and a half!” but you have to remember that our part of Georgia is sorely lacking in the public parks department, and since pulling her out of school last year, she hasn’t had much opportunity to hone this life-altering skill. Your second thought might be, “who cares?” Well, let me tell you, my big fat lazy butt, tired of pushing and pushing and pushing, cares a lot. And more importantly, SHE cares. If you don’t think this is a million-dollar-I-can-accomplish-anything sort of smile, then have your vision checked:




We had another pretty significant occurrence this week, as well. I know you must be thinking, “How can anything possibly compete with the overwhelmingness of a kid learning to pump on the swings?” While maybe not as exhilarating, it was equally warming to my heart.

The kids and I were getting ready yesterday afternoon to pick Blaine up from the Outpatient Surgery Center where he had hernia surgery that morning. (I KNOW! Can you believe it??? First cancer, and now a hernia! I won’t even MENTION the fact he got put on High-Blood Pressure medication this week, too. I have NO idea why he would have high blood pressure, would you? Needless to say, he hit 40 this year and just flat fell apart. I might as well go ahead and add Geritol to my weekly shopping list, at the rate he’s going. What’s next? A walking cane? Removal of the prostate? A colostomy bag???…… but I digress…..)

So the kids and I were getting ready to go pick him up and Kendrie came in my bathroom and asked me if I was going to wear a ball cap. (Bad hair day, you know how it goes.) So I said “No. Are you?” and she replied, “well yeah, I’m bald-headed!”. To which I carefully replied, “Well you know, you’re really not bald anymore. You have a little bit of hair up there on your head.” And she turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. Really looked at herself, then reached up there and rubbed the top of her head. Then, this huge grin spreads across her face and she hollers out, “I’m not bald anymore, woo-hoo, woo-hoo!” and she starts running around my bedroom, doing a dance (which is not much of a dance, it’s more like running in circles, jabbing her arms and hands like she’s boxing, and doing little karate kicks with her legs. In fact, now that I think about it, she looks like a possessed cross between Muhammad Ali and Jackie Chan, suffering from leg cramps. But again with the digressing…..)

So for the first time in months, with the exception of the swimming pool, she went out in public yesterday without grabbing a ball cap on her way out the door. She didn’t wear one today, either. She never acted self-conscious, or like it bothered her, and I’m not sure if it did all these months. But she was so happy at the prospect of having hair on her head again that it brought tears to my eyes. (not big ones, because I’m really not a crying-kind of person, but definitely some little ones.) I don’t know how to tell her that the meds she is getting in this Delayed Intensification phase will probably make it fall out again. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and when school starts in August, she’ll have enough hair to avoid the whole ball-cap/bandana issue.

All I know is that for a few days, she has been running outside every chance she gets to pump herself on the swing and let the breeze blow through her ….. well, her hair. Even if there’s not much of it. And as long as she’s happy, I’m happy.

Thanks for checking in. Thanks for signing the guestbook. Have a wonderful weekend, and if you have a spare minute, stop and swing and enjoy the breeze in your hair.

love, Kristie