Well, after my never-ending journal update on Kendrie’s one-year anniversary date last week, it’s taken me a little while to post another update. I have to say, this might be the longest I’ve gone without updating …. nine whole days …. what does that tell you about me being long-winded? (Please don’t actually answer that.)
I want to thank all of you who posted so many nice messages in the guestbook in the days leading up to the anniversary, and after reading my online saga. Because it helps keeps me sane, I would write this journal in a dark cave, in the corner, never to see the light of day, if I had to. But it’s so much more gratifying to read notes from other people who have experienced the same thing, or who simply want to wish us well, or who will stop long enough to offer a note of encouragement for our family. Sometimes I feel like one of those guys who plays the guitar on the street corner with a hat out in front of him. Only instead of a guitar, I have an online journal. And instead of sitting on a public corner, I sit in my computer room. And instead of hoping people will throw money in the hat, it makes me happy when I hear from people who enjoy our site. And instead of ….. well, when you look at it, actually, I guess it’s nothing like the guy with the guitar.
Since getting over the mental hump that was the one-year anniversary, it honestly hasn’t gotten much press time in my head. We’ve moved on to a normal, busy, hectic life like everyone else on the planet. The big events of this past week included 50’s Day at school --- which was a total hoot. Check out my kids, doing the “Fonzie” thumbs up. Only Kellen looks more like he’s going to a heavy-metal rock concert, than to a sock-hop.
Our whole family went to the fundraiser at the school last night; hula hoop contests, lots of 50’s music and dancing, root beer floats … it was really a lot of fun. Fun enough that Kendrie started crying when we told her it was time to leave. And not “oh, how cute, she’s sad because it’s time to go”-crying, but rather “if you don’t knock it off right now we’re never coming back to another event again!’-kind of crying. Except for that, though, we had a great time. Check out my leather jacket --- I'm afraid it was a little more Michael Jackson'ish than James Dean'ish. And check out the stick-in-the-mud parents in the background who didn't dress up like we did.
Kendrie also had a class field trip to a pumpkin patch, her first ever visit to the dentist’s office, a fundraiser night at the local pizza parlor --- and, that American rite of passage that all elementary school children must endure: Picture Day at school. Since she is in Pre-Kindergarten, this was her first time for Picture Day. She was so excited and picked out her clothes herself. (Tiffany, she wore Logan’s khaki-princess pants!) The funny part came when the photographer’s assistant went down the line and passed out combs to all the children before the photo. Kendrie took the comb, looked at it, then looked at the lady like, “What are you? On crack?” I was literally laughing out loud. (How did I see it, you wonder? Because it appears that until I get a tattoo of the word “NO” stamped on my forehead, I will be one of the Parent Volunteers for every single event they have there. This week alone there was Picture Day, a workbook project in Kellen’s class, field trip to the pumpkin patch, making pizza with the kindergarteners, pre-K picnic, coordinating online photo albums for the yearbook staff, PTO meeting, re-arranging the PTO bulletin board, and because volunteering itself isn’t fulfilling enough, I am also the Parent Volunteer *Coordinator*, which brought about at least three hours on the phone getting volunteers lined up to work the Book Fair. Please, some other stay at home moms tell me that this is your life, too!) (ps For the record, I enjoy spending time at the school …. I just like to gripe about it at the same time!)
So anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Kendrie’s hair. Her class takes a rest-time after lunch each day and one day this week when I picked her up after school, she actually had a little ridge on the side of her head where her hair was sticking straight up from laying on it. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! She has started brushing it after her bath each night (completely unnecessary but totally adorable) and asking me to spritz her with no-tangle spray each morning (equally unnecessary, but hey, if it makes her happy.)
Another fun thing this week was getting a chance to finally meet, in person, Jacob and his family. Jacob is an adorable little boy whose dad is also stationed at Robins AFB here in Georgia. He just hit his one-year off-treatment milestone for rhabdomyosarcoma and is doing great --- clean scans this month! His mom Jenny and I have been e-mailing, and have even met in person once, but this was our first chance to get the husbands and kids all together. This family is another one of those silver linings --- warm, wonderful people placed in our path who we would never have met otherwise. We look forward to spending more time with all of them!
One last thing I want to mention before I sign off for tonight is a program, recently started in Atlanta, but which will hopefully be picked up nation-wide. It’s a fundraiser for pediatric cancer research with great potential --- we just need to get the word out! Below is the “blurb” with a link and phone number for more information. If you can, please take part in the program, and/or spread the news, either by telling friends, or putting the information on your own caringbridge site.
IF THIS WEB PAGE HAS INSPIRED YOU TO ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP -- THEN YOU CAN BECOME PART OF OUR TEAM AND HELP US FIND A CURE FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER BY JOINING A NEW PROGRAM CALLED "COACHING FOR THE CURE". THE CONCEPT IS SIMPLE: IF YOUR CHILD PARTICIPATES IN ANY TYPE OF TEAM SPORT, GET THE TEAM TO DONATE THE MONEY RAISED FOR YOUR COACH'S END-OF-SEASON GIFT TO "COACHING FOR THE CURE". ALL OF THE MONEY GOES DIRECTLY TO SUPPORT PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH. IN RETURN, YOUR COACH GETS AN ORIGINAL COACHING FOR THE CURE T-SHIRT, A CERTIFICATE AND THE GREAT FEELING OF "HELPING KIDS KICK CANCER!" YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION AT Coaching for the Cure OR BY CALLING GRAINNE OWEN AT 678-277-9849.
Thanks, and have a great night!
Love, Kristie
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KENDRIE’S PERSPECTIVE:
WORST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY:
Just about the time I *forget* that I have cancer, something happens to remind my mom that I am still a little more suh-sep-table to germs and things. Like my classroom friend Meredith going home from school on Wednesday, then her mom called to tell us she had strep throat! I felt bad for Meredith, until my mom starting hosing me down with Purell …. Then I felt bad for me!
BEST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY:
Well, this doesn’t really have anything to do with cancer, but my dad took the whole day off from work today just to come to the school and have lunch with me and Kellen and Brayden! Mom obviously didn’t understand that he took the day off strictly for our lunch date because she had him busy painting the halls in the house, but he managed to throw off the shackles long enough to come chow down on some pizza and cookies from the lunchroom. Then, I overheard him call her on the cell phone and say something about “it’s a madhouse in here with all these kids!” and I’m pretty sure she said something back like, “yeah, well, welcome to my world and try volunteering down there all the time” and then who knows what else they said. Grown ups are weird.
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