Yeah, I do have kids.

Glancing through my previous posts, I noticed they were all about my cancer, and nothing really about my kiddos. So here’s an update:

Ella, despite her adorable locks, cutie pie smile, and melodic singing voice, she is quite the force to be reckoned with! When she is angry…which is over a dozen times a day, whenever she doesn’t get exactly what she wants…just watch out! She throws whatever is in sight, including plates of food and cups of milk, she slams doors, she throws herself on the floor and slams herself into walls and couches. All with these huge grunts of anger. Melvin said she has his temper. So it was quite appropriate then what happened when she wanted a yogurt she saw on the counter, even though she had just had one, and Melvin pushed them aside and walked away. That little girl saw him do this, yelled out No! and literally ran after him and bit his leg!

On a more positive note, the girl counts things all the time, and can count to ten independently. I think it started with me doing 1-2-3 behavior count ever since she could hear! She also likes to sing. Anytime she hears music, she picks up the tune rather quickly and starts doing her own little version. She also is a motor mouth. She'll jibber-jabber for a full minute, very intent on getting some information across, and I'll have no clue what she's saying, except for a name here or there. It's hilarious as she actually things she's saying something that the rest of us just might be able to comprehend. She even adds facial expressions and hand gestures to go along with her "words."

Cameron is finishing up soccer…I don’t know which one of us is happier, as it has been a very wet and rainy season. He’s enjoying the fun of Scouts, but not the “work” of Scouts. He told me the other day he didn’t want to do the work in the scout book. I’m not going to make this a big deal. If he doesn’t put effort into it by January, I’m not letting him continue with it.

He seems to be doing very well in school, but is forgetful with his things as usual…even completing a perfect spelling test, then forgetting to turn it in! I have a conference with his teacher later this week. This should be interesting. Overall, Cameron loves to just be outside with his friends, playing football, riding his scooter or catching bugs or he especially enjoys hanging out inside playing on the computer. He’s also taking a liking to card games.

On a difficult note, he has been having meltdowns almost every day for one ridiculous selfish reason after another. We’re weaning him off his epilepsy medication to see if this will help, but so far I don’t see a difference. Maybe it’s just a 6 year old thing…but I sure hope he outgrows it soon.

Max is very independent now with dressing himself, brushing his teeth, and is now finally starting to do puzzles on his own. Since school has started, he’s taken more interest in his “homework” books and is doing a little bit better with knowing some letters and sounds. However, he also has decided that he doesn’t want to go to school anymore. Whenever it’s a school day, he cries that morning (repeating at least 30 times that he doesn’t want to go to school), or puts up a stink in the parking lot. When I pick him up, he’s all smiles and can tell me some great things that he did that day. And when I ask him if he had fun, he’ll respond “Ye….No!” He starts to say yes, then realizes that if he says yes, it means he likes it and shouldn’t be putting up a fight the two mornings a week that he goes. Maybe it will just take time. Max also has an interesting power of producing all out tears one second, and then if he finally gets what he wants, or more likely lately getting distracted by something else, he turns them off like a faucet. It drives me crazy…but at least he turns them off. That’s Cameron’s problem, he dwells and can’t get the tears to stop falling.

And to give a little update about chemo. Today felt like a regular day…not really over fatigued, just a little nauseas sometimes…nothing too out of the ordinary. I had to get a follow-up shot that burned going in. However it’s supposed to boost my white blood cell count, but possibly make my bones achy. That’s it on the cancer front!