Christmas Countdown

Somehow my camera cord, the one that I use to download pictures is broken...in a house of boys, one destructive puppy and my klutzy self, broken things are pretty standard. When I eventually get around to starting my Christmas shopping hopefully I will remember to pick one up when I am at Best Buy. I have been reluctant to post because I LOVE posting with pictures. This morning though, I had to record what my funny little boy has been doing with the Advent Calendar.

While visiting my inlaws for Thanksgiving, I borrowed the latest Martha Stewart Magazine, excited about creating an advent calendar for the boys that counts down the days to Christmas with a little present to be opened each day. So over the past couple weeks I collected little toys and treats and last Wednesday night I stayed up late wrapping 50 little treats and stringing them up in the only spot I could find that would hold the weight of it and I could keep it away from the puppy. Owen has this perfect hook in his ceiling where a basket of stuffed animals typically hangs. What I didn't figure on was that my crafty little boy would find scissors (although I have hidden two pairs from him) and cut down his gifts in the middle of the night. As I was getting him ready this morning I found wrapping paper crumpled up in his bed, a pair of new gloves, a snowglobe and a chocolate Santa....he was busy last night!

Happy Halloween!

Just a typical week...subtract the snowstorm

After two spinal surgeries and three weeks of recovery at home, Owen had his first chemo treatment this week (since Sept. 19th) and he returned back to preschool at St. Pauls. It was nice to get back to our "normal" routine. Owen handled chemo fairly well, his dose remains at 80% to keep his white blood cell count within a safe range....and he was overjoyed to be back at school with his teachers and friends. Most days he was curled up in a ball under a blanket napping when I came to pick him up....but he wakes up everyday asking to go to school.

Family, friends, St. Pauls, Churchville Elem. have been so supportive and thoughtful during this time...we greatly appreciate the cards, messages, gifts, dinners and donations to the Children's Tumor Foundation. I am hoping to get around to proper thank you notes soon :)...but Owen, Joey, Joe and I continue to be so grateful for all the love and care. Hopefully Owen is back on track and we can knock through the rest of this course of chemo treatment...5 more months...

So although we returned to a fairly typical week, yesterday was anything but typical with our first snowstorm. While trying to get out to celebrate Joey's upcoming birthday, we were detoured over and over again by downed trees and spun out cars. A ten minute truck ride from Chalfont to Doylestown turned into a 45 minute adventure...finally finding a restaurant that was open after the place where we had reservations was closed because of a power outage. Joey and Owen loved spending time with their grandparents and were delighted to wrap up the afternoon with a snowball fight. We returned home to our own poweroutage and spent a few hours curled up by the fire, playing games by candle light. Today was a rush around town for groceries, grabbing last minute Halloween final costume touches, prompting Joey through hours of work on his book report, grading papers and Tom working on our new floors :) Should be a fun couple of days ahead...

Good to be home!

So good to return to "normal" today... decorating the house for Halloween, watching the Eagles, Joey and Owen arguing, eating at the kitchen table, Joey and I working on homework. I cannot seem to conjure up the words that express how amazed I am with Owen. Having to put him in his room for a time out today brought me such joy....not that I love him tormenting the dog but that just hours after being released from CHOP, days after his second surgery in two weeks...he is acting like just any other four year old boy. His strength and determination are amazing. After 48 hours of having to stay flat on his back, minutes after the surgeon told him he could sit up, he was walking down to the playroom pushing my hand away telling me he could do it himself. He walked into the playroom, exclaiming, "This is so cool." Watching him play with the toys, compensate when needing to bend over for something and do everything by himself gave me the feeling that whatever life throws at him he is going to get through it. By the way he interacts with the nurses, doctors and other patients and families at CHOP, not only will he get through all of these challenges in his life but I realized this weekend how much his positive attitude and strength affect the people that meet him...

Owen Update

Last Friday Owen had surgery at CHOP to untether his spinal cord from the spinal canal. After a 4 day stay at CHOP he is back home making steady progress; complaining that he wants to go back to school!

30 minutes before surgery...

A couple hours after surgery...

Needing to stay in bed, on his back for a minumum of 48 hours, Owen kept busy by playing with his "guys," watching Tangled, Rio, Toy Story and Mighty Machines, playing Angry Birds, working on a craft project (our fall wreath for the front door :) )and having visits with Grandma, Pop, Me-Ma, Great-Dad and Joey.

After he spiked a fever and high heart rate on Sunday morning, broke out in a rash from the antibiotics and then was knocked out by the Benedryl he was given to combat the rash, we were glad when he finally got moving around on Monday.

After one last Pancake and Bacon breakfast and Ham and Cheese lunch Owen was happy to head home in Dad's taxi...

Owen has spent the week at home, recovering and getting stronger every day. He was so proud of himself when he was finally able to bend over and pick up a toy today. He is one independent and determined little boy. Next up...back to Chemo on Monday and a Urology appointment on Tuesday. Hopefully this month we'll start to get back to just once a week visits to CHOP and focusing on some fun fall activities...

Monday is...

Monday is...Bounding into a busy work week after a 36 mile bike ride and cheering/encouraging/
supporting NF runners along a half mile stretch of the Philly Half Marathon.

Monday is...International Talk Like a Pirate Day. What else to say, I looked like a pirate until the clock struck noon and I rushed out the door of my classroom

Monday is....CHOP day. Owen was incredibly sweet and sour today. Lovey and obstinate. One minute telling me he loved me the next yelling at me "Chee, Chee, Chee!" (not sure what it means but I know in Owen's world he is cursing me out) His doctors are still trying to find a dosage "sweet spot" varying the amount of chemo to give him the strongest dose he can handle without his blood counts dropping and spiking fevers. Latest MRI shows stable optic glioma (good!) but a scan of the spine shows an area of the spine tethered to the spinal column (bad!). Joe and I take Owen to the neurosurgeon on Wednesday to find out about next steps.

Monday is...rush Joey to soccer practice after picking him up from his after school program, running into Pina's for a couple slices of pizza, Joey gobbling it up in the car and Owen eating at a picnic table at the field.

Monday is...leaving the kids with Alex at the soccer field to rush to Owen's Back to School Night...Alex having to deal with an explosive mess while I was gone (sorry and thank you.)

Monday is...OVER...thank god.

in two weeks

In the past two weeks...
...I watched as Churchville Elementary transformed itself from a workzone to a bright-beautiful-brand-new-school ready for a new year...I unpacked boxes upon boxes filled with 13 years of teaching experiences...I realized waking up at 5:30 is not early enough to get my crazy crew ready in the morning...Joey spent fun-filled days with grandma, pop and puppies...I was the only one in my family to actually feel and acknowledge that we had an earthquake...we prepared for and Joe dealt with a surprisingly small amount of flooding from Hurricane Irene...Joey went fishing and kayaking with great-dad...we had our first "snow day" on the first day of school...Owen had two chemo treatments and one uber long MRI...after working off $210 of spring and summer chores to cover his last pair of broken glasses, Joey heartbreakingly found his latest pair puppy-chewed on the livingroom rug on the first day of school...I was dismayed and angered after reading #14 of the fine print on the insurance I bought when we purchased the glasses...Although Joey was miserable I still persuaded him to allow me to take a first day of school picture...Me-ma thankfully picked up the boys, entertained and fed them while I spent afternoons at PT...after weeks of therapy I finally went on a bike ride with my dad...I welcomed some wonderfully sweet sixth graders to a new year (they should stay sweet until at least December)...I gave birthday hugs to Alex...I created 4 bulletin boards (after teaching in a trailer for 5 years it was somewhat fun to do this again---I think my 6th grade teammates sometimes look at me funny)...I congratulated and shared a drink with Aimee after our first week back to school...I watched Owen delight in a Spiderman popicle, talked with some 11th graders that were once my students, and had to drag Joey away from the DJ after a fun Churchville back to school picnic...we finally had dinner with mom and dad at Cravings, a favorite summertime spot...I went to the teacher store 4 times...my students had "Mr. Mc" as their terrific-first-day teacher...I bought my last purchases at Borders :(...I used my Smartboard for the first time with some success...I drove an amazingly swank convertible...

I could probably fill a couple pages...it is been a crazy couple weeks.

Most importantly...
Both Owen and Joey enjoyed their first week of school and there are no complaints about having to go back in two days. Owen got through a hellish MRI day at Chop after waiting for 3 hours, he endured a four hour scan and came out smiling (we are still waiting for the results). Joey got a new pair of glasses and although the fine print clearly states pet damage is not covered I only had to pay $25 (I did not ask why). We are going to spend our last days of summer enjoying the pool (weather permitting) and gearing up for what will probably be another crazy couple weeks.

"last day" of summer

Owen and I head back to school tomorrow so today
was our unofficial last day of summer. We spent the
morning at CHOP, had a visit with Grandma and Pop (& two adorable foster puppies) and went to the pool in the afternoon. We got home in the late evening, Joe ordered Pizza for the boys and I mowed the lawn!!! Two weeks after knee surgery and I am a half acre closer to 13.2 miles!


Owen had a good day at CHOP. His blood cell counts are strong and he had treatment without any issues. The nurses let him pick out a new pillowcase for himself and one to bring home for Joey. This woman, Cindy Kerr, comes into CHOP every few months with her sewing machine and sews pillowcases (with the kids help) to give out to all the patients. Owen loves his tractor pillowcase. Lovely how these small details we find so often at CHOP make sure an impact. Owen will always remember where that pillowcase came from.






We met Joey and Joe at the auto body shop after CHOP.
The window on my truck, after being rolled half way down was refusing to go back up. Owen was thrilled at getting the chance to ride "Dadda's taxi" to Grandma and Pop's to pick up the jeep.




Chloe was once this small and adorable too...after finding my favorite sandals shredded this morning I think the cuteness only lasts for so long.