the C word

I'm sitting here at work, desperately wishing I could be at home with little R and my mom. The hubby and I brought my parents back here to FLA from Alabama this weekend. Mom told me on Friday that her cancer is back. When she goes back, she will start chemo and maybe radiation...AGAIN. She had breast cancer, had a mastectomy, went through chemotherapy-2 different kinds, radiation and ongoing anticancer drugs. Then, cancer was found in her back, more chemo and radiation...another flare up, more radiation.
Now, she has cancer in her kidneys and liver. According to the docs, the original cancer in the breast metastasised to the back bone which has now metastasised to the kidney and liver. AT least it is the same form/strain as before-hopefully the chemo they used before will be effective.
I am so glad we had already decided that my parents would come back with us. Time is precious but even more so when the reality of illness, death and dying are so close.
If you are the praying type-please keep my Mom and Dad in yours-if not, send happiness and health vibes her way.

Family Reunion, car trips, etc

Well, we are back from our short trip to attend a family reunion in Alabama. The ride there was not pleasant. We need to remember to only travel in the morning or early afternoon with R. When she is tired, riding in a car seat for hours is not something she does without a protest. She cried, whined, and practically begged me to hold her (I hold you)-it was sad :(. We did stop once at a McD's to let her play for about 30 minutes and that seemed to help for a little while.
Little R had a good time playing chase and coloring with her cousin Jacob (he is actually my cousin's grandson, not sure what that makes he and R) at the family reunion. They were so cute!! And we got to see relatives we hadn't seen since...well, last year at the family reunion.
Kudos to my cousins Regina and Sheree for putting it together. I'm looking forward to seeing the CD of pictures put together by another cousin and his daughter. Someone had the awesome idea to have everyone bring family pictures-old and new-and scan them in to create a picture CD.
It was also great to get to spend time with my oldest niece. She came for the family reunion and spent the night at my parents' house. R has only seen her once or twice before but she warmed up to her quickly. It was sweet to see her holding R and see the smiles being exchanged.

Things to do before I die

As part of my job as a counselor, I lead group treatment sessions every week. One of the topics I have used in the past and used again today was what are 20 things you want to do before you die. Previously, I've played the Tim McGraw song Live Like You Were Dying and then explained the activity but not today. I didn't decide until after I was at work to do this activity.
SO,in keeping with a theme-I'm blogging about my own bucket list of things to do before I die.

Learn to speak another language, fluently
Have a home in Puerto Rico
Get out of debt
Get my LMHC
Sell my creations on ETSY
Learn to sew
Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
Swim in a phosphorescent bay
Spend the night in the rainforest
Be unplugged (no TV, computer, phone, etc) for one week
Kayak with Orcas
Take an Alaskan Cruise
Meet my grandchildren
Move to western North Carolina
See the Northern Lights
Take my child to swim with the manatees
Take my child to Disneyworld
Go on a photo safari
Paint a picture and hang it in my home
Have a "real" garden-you know, the kind that actually feeds my family
Live far enough away from the city to have chickens, not a pen full just a few laying hens
See the Grand Canyon
Ride a camel
Dig for Thundereggs
Be an extra in a movie
Have a house with a big porch- rockers, porch swing, hanging plants, the whole old southern kind of porch
Come up with a "signature" dish
Take guitar lessons
Learn to play a CCR, James Taylor, or Simon and Garfunkel song on my guitar
Find a church where I feel at home
Teach a college level course
Forgive some people (I'm currently working on this )
Grow my own fruit
Become comfortable with my body-whatever size it is
Foster creativity in my child
Foster a sense of wonder about nature in my child
Learn how to start a fire with sticks or rocks-no flint, no matches, etc
Research edible plants and have a working knowledge of them for wherever I live
Have an emergency fund
Take a survival class
Go to Jerusalem and walk where Jesus walked
Own an RV
Visit all 50 states
SIMPLIFY!!
Take R fishing
Wake up to snow on Christmas morning
Make something R will actually want to wear
Teach R to swim
Learn to fix R's hair :)
Volunteer on a reservation
Go back to Ireland
Hike at least part of the Appalachian Trail
Go to Costa Rica
Trip to the UP of Michigan to hunt for Lake Superior Agates


Well, enough for now. I guess I better get busy making the money I need to do some of the traveling I want to do.

Phrases, new words, and general cuteness

R is now using a few phrases...neat. She says "I hold you" which can mean hold me or I want to hold _________ (usually the cats or whatever critter she sees on TV or outside. She also says "I get you" when playing with me or the hubby. Her newest word is Libby but it comes out Geebee or Sheebee. Too cute.
The hubby has been keeping her at home most of this week so they have really been able to bond. The babysitter had her tonsils out this week and since hubby is without employment-it just made sense to have her home.
NOW-I must actually work :)

Easter Weekend

Unfortunately, I didn't have a 3 day weekend like so many :( Our Easter weekend was very uneventful. I worked a few hours on Saturday and napped for a LONG time because I felt crappy. We did make a late night run to Krispy Kreme with baby in tow. She stayed awake until almost 11:00 pm. I think I have a future night owl on my hands.
Sunday morning was spent letting R play with her Easter Basket toys and then off to church. We chose to stay close and just go to the church within walking distance from our house. Not my first choice but it was convenient and time constraint friendly. The sermon was meaningful and easy to understand, the music was AWFUL but I reminded myself it was about making a Joyful noise not a pleasing noise.
Sunday afternoon once again involved a nap and then outside play with R. She FINALLY got to use her sidewalk chalk from her Easter basket. She was more amused by writing on me than the sidewalk. She also made a few sneaky attempts at writing on Daddy's car. We then transplanted tomatoes and peppers and let R play with the waterhose. She LOVES this. The water is freezing (well water) and I have no clue how she stands it. As usual, by the time we were done outside, little R needed a bath and dry clothes.
BTW-I went to the Doc yesterday and I have a bad sinus infection and an ear infection-this explains why I have been so tired and thus all the naps.

Veggies-follow up

I have now added carrots and cucumbers to my backyard (well sideyard) garden. EVERYTHING I planted earlier has sprouted...YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! I still need to transplant the bellpeppers and tomatoes but I don't think they are big enough yet. I'm thinking I will just make supports for the tomatoes vs. using cages. I can't wait for harvest time.

Veggies

My husband finished my little garden spot over the weekend. Yeah hubby! We won't discuss how long this had been in the works ;) Well, I now have a 4 x 8 plus a little more garden. So far I have planted dragon tongue beans, some type of pole beans, yellow squash, zucchini, green onion, cilantro and basil. I have tomatoes and bellpeppers to transplant soon. One problem-I can't tell which is which yet. Considering I need room for tomato cages, I have to wait until they are larger to put them in the garden. I'm thinking of adding carrots in a few spots if I have room.
NOW-I'm just hoping all the rain doesn't wash the seeds away or in one big pile in a corner of the veggie garden.
Baby R so wanted to help with this project. She loves playing in the dirt. I let her play as long as I was just leveling the soil but had to have hubby take her elsewhere when she kept digging up the seeds I had just planted. I felt guilty about not letting her play but redirection was not working.