Ouch.

Kendrie came home from school yesterday very excited, and said to me, “Mom! Great news! We’re starting the Reading Buddy program at school this week!”

Absentmindedly, I replied, “Oh, that’s nice.”

She went on, “I loved it at our old school when the big kids would read to us …. I’m excited to do Reading Buddy here, too.”

And I sort of paused …. hmmmm, had a lightbulb moment …. and asked her, “Are you sure you understood right? And your class is doing it this year? Because it seems to me that you and your friends, in 3rd grade, should already know how to read pretty well. I mean, aren’t you a little old for a Reading Buddy?”

Kendrie laughed (in that “my mom is a moron” way she has) and said, “Mom, I don’t *get* a Reading Buddy, I *AM* the Reading Buddy! I’m going to be reading to a kindergartener! I’m the big kid now!”

Ouch.

Excuse me while I pull the bbq spear out of my heart, at the realization that my “baby” is now one of “the big kids”. Vasectomy reversal, anyone?

Starfish

Kristie: "So, what did you learn about in school today?"

Kendrie: "Starfish."

Kristie: "Starfish? Really? That’s neat."

Kendrie: "Yeah, we’re studying the ocean on the internet."

Kristie: "Well, what did you learn about starfish?"

Kendrie: "That they’re carnivores."

Kristie: "Carnivores? Really? What do you mean?"

Kendrie: "Carnivore means you eat meat."

Kristie, amused: "I *know* what carnivore means …. I just didn’t realize starfish were carnivores. What do they eat?"

Kendrie: "Clams, and oysters, and other fish things, mainly."

Kristie: "Hmmm. Well, what do you know. I had no idea."

Kendrie, exasperated: "Mom ... {pause for dramatic effect} … Google doesn’t lie. "

MANIC MONDAY

My kids love school; they really, truly, do. They just don’t like getting out of bed in the morning. Especially Monday morning. No matter how much rest they’ve gotten over the weekend, how much relaxation and fun we’ve had, they’re never ready for Monday morning. They let me know this in various ways, such as moaning when I wake them up, rolling over and burying their faces under the covers.

Kellen and Brayden normally only need one reminder that it’s time to get up and start getting ready for school …. Kendrie usually makes it as far as the sofa before collapsing with fatigue, and would stay on the sofa, huddled in a blanket, complaining that “I'm cold!” or “It’s too early!” or “I’m still tired!” all day if I’d let her.

Once they get to school they’re ok, although Kendrie and I did have the following conversation this morning as I walked her to her classroom:

Kendrie: “I don’t want to go to school!”

Kristie: “You’re just grumpy because it’s Monday. You should go to bed earlier on Sunday night.”

Kendrie: “No, I really don’t want to go to school!”

Kristie: “Why not? You love school.”

Kendrie: “Yes, but it takes too long! It takes up my whole day!”

Kristie: “Well, just be glad you don’t go to school in China or Japan or any of those places. Those kids have to go to school from 8 in the morning until 5 at night, like a real job. They stay MUCH longer at school than you do.” {I have no idea if this is true, but I heard it somewhere and at this point, I’m looking for anything to make this kid quit whining.}

Kendrie (in her most “well DUH, Mom!” voice): “Well, yeah, but they’re studying cool stuff -- They’re all learning how to be ninjas!”

So there you have it. The REAL reason that Mitsubishi and Sanyo and Fujifilm are such successful international companies: The ninja training of their CEO’s. Bet those guys don’t bitch about Mondays, what with all the cool ninja fighting they get to do.

EXCUSE ME WHILE I SWELL UP AND BURST WITH PRIDE. OR SOMETHING THAT BRIEFLY RESEMBLED PRIDE. FOR ABOUT TEN SECONDS.

Day 68 OT

Kendrie accidentally spilled her water bottle in her book bag last week, soaking the contents with water. Contents included a school agenda, mittens (why?) and her library book. She was most worried about the library book and the trouble and punishment she was just certain the elementary school librarian would inflict upon her small person. We tried laying it flat, even blow-drying it, but to no avail. Not only were both the pages and the binding warped, but it had begun to mold (We do live in the southeast, after all.)

So today when I took her to school, I told her I would take the book to the library and explain what happened. If need be, I would even pay for the book. But I assured her she would not be in trouble. She protested and explained that particular book was part of the Accelerated Reading Program at school and she needed to take her test and get her points before returning it to the library.

AR tests are taken on the computers in the classrooms, and I always feel a little funny sitting there while my kids take their tests. I enjoy watching, but then I get a little paranoid. If they get a 100 percent on the test, will the teacher think I slipped them the answers? Like I really *know* the storyline of every Mystery Treehouse book in the library, or that I actually give two hoots about Danny and his Dinosaur? But still, just to be on the safe side, I told Kendrie to go take her test and I sat myself on the other side of the room and waited for her to be done.

While I was waiting, the teacher from the gifted program at our school came into the room and handed Kendrie’s teacher two envelopes. The teacher turned to me and said, “Oh, here. One of these is for you.” I opened it (here is where the moment of obnoxious parental pride comes in) and found a request to have Kendrie tested for the school’s gifted program. It doesn’t begin until first grade, but they want to test her now to see if she qualifies, and if so, then she could start next year.

So I’m sitting there, swelling up with delight. Literally, swelling. And a wee bit of smugness, if I were to be honest. I mean, the kid missed an entire year of pre-school due to cancer, but today came the realization that ALL THOSE MONTHS OF FREAKIN’ PUZZLES AND WORKBOOKS AND READING AND GAMES THAT I PLAYED WITH HER REALLY AND TRULY PAID OFF!!!!! I mean, in a psuedo-sense, I took over her education for that year, and now they think she might be gifted???? That’s my girl!!! It’s thrilling!

I looked up at the teacher, pride and happiness shining in my eyes, to be sure, and just then Kendrie walked over. My prodigal child, my beacon of intelligence, the fruit of my loins that will someday win a Nobel Peace Prize. And what bit of remarkable wisdom would she bestow upon us lowly earth creatures????

“Well, I sure failed THAT test!” she proclaimed loudly, in front of all of us.

“What do you mean honey? You failed an AR test? You FAILED a test? You haven’t failed a single test all year …. Are you joking???” I stammered, worried the gifted teacher was going to reach over and snatch the envelope out of my hand and rip it into shreds right in front of my eyes.

So close …………. We were Soooooooooooo close!

(sigh)

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Proof that the gifted request might very well have been a mistake: The kids are required to keep a reading list, and were attempting to complete six hours of at-home reading to qualify for free Six Flags tickets next summer, as part of a school reading program. The lists were due today, and my kids haven’t been the most faithful about writing down all their books. So last night found them frantically trying to remember every book they’ve read for the past month that they might have forgotten to include. I *know* they’ve read six hours because we read together almost every night, so I was just sort of half-listening as they tried to remember all the book titles.

Kendrie turned to me and said, “What was the name of that first book, the one in the Bible, with God, and the garden, and his friends Even and Odd?”

Yeah. We’re SO not making it into gifted, are we?

“AND SO WE ENTER THE SECOND YEAR, AND OUR LIFE ON LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE JUST KEEPS CHUGGING ALONG”

Week #11 on LTM

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.

CAN A SCHOOL DAY GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS?

Week #2, LTM

One Year Ago Today: August 23, 2003, I finally broke down and took Kendrie to the doctor. She had been complaining about her arm hurting, and had been limping around for several days, plus had been running a low-grade fever. Since it was a Saturday, we saw whatever practitioner was on duty, not her normal pediatrician. The guy seemed nice enough, but he made me feel silly. “Just a virus, push fluids, tylenol if she continues to complain.” I’m guessing it’s the flu, or maybe even something as mundane as growing pains (although deep down I suspect she got hurt wrestling with her older brother and sister.)


We had such a great day at school on Friday (again, notice I say “we” …. like I’m such an integral part of their day … which I’m not … but I like to think that I am.) I arranged for a Child Life Specialist from our local hospital to come and speak to both Pre-Kindergarten classes about illness, hospitals, doctors, leukemia and Kendrie in particular. Although I had never met this Child Life Specialist before that morning, she was really fabulous at her job and did a great presentation. She talked about cells, ports, chemotherapy, showed the medical-play doll, and then we watched the “Why, Charlie Brown, Why?” video. Then, she really hit it big with the kids when she passed out doctors’ hats, masks and gloves for them all to take home.

Since the presentation ended at recess time, I invited myself back to the playground to hang out with Kendrie’s class during recess. I’m pretty sure around this time Kendrie’s teacher was thinking, “Geez lady, don’t you have anything better to do?” but it was fun. I took lots of photos of the kids, and learned that Kendrie is a swing-hog if given the chance.






Then, that afternoon I was invited back (yes, that’s right, this time I actually had an invitation) to help the kids make their Friendship Salad (little-kid term for ‘big ole bowl of fruit’.) The extra latex gloves passed out by the Child Life Specialist came in handy right about then (just as long as I didn’t have to wear a hair net while I was passing it out) and then I got to stay for the impressive classroom renditions of Musical Chairs, which Kendrie won (the teacher SO had the whole thing rigged since I was standing there watching) and Doggie Doggie Where’s Your Bone, where I learned that Kendrie is either psychic, or cheats.

I also spent four mornings last week volunteering in Kellen’s class, several hours working for the Education Coordinator and sat through a PTO meeting. So for those of you who have left messages in the guestbook about “I must be enjoying my free time now that all three of the kids are in school full time” I just want to tell you that you are obviously on crack.

I hope that everyone’s week is off to a great start!

Love, Kristie
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KENDRIE’S PERSPECTIVE:

WORST THING ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: I still can’t quite get the hang of this new “no snack before bed” rule. If this keeps up, I might have to actually start eating my dinner when it is served to me (gasp!)

BEST PART ABOUT HAVING CANCER TODAY: For the first time, today I went to school with no hat on! It was “red” day and so I had on my red Hershey Kisses t-shirt from Hershey, PA, and the only hat I had that matched it is a baseball cap which my mom said I am not allowed to wear to school so I decided to go without a hat and nobody said anything to me and that made me very happy and I might not ever wear a hat again! Well, at least until tomorrow which is "yellow" day and I have a cute hat that matches my yellow lemonade t-shirt.