Hustle and bustle

Yawn!!!!!!!!!!! These days right before Christmas sure are tiring. This morning, I had so much to do, but Ella decided to wake me me up at 4:00 AM. Usually she just goes back to sleep if I put her in my bed. But today she decided to roll around all over me for a couple hours until we finally went down to the couch to sleep and then she informed me that the sky was pink and not dark, so it was time to get up.

This was not the day for me to be so exhausted. All I wanted to do was go back to bed. So that I wouldn't, as soon as I made sure Cameron was on the bus, the only thing I did to get ready to go out was brush my teeth and put on a pair of jeans. I didn't wash my face, put on make up, or even change the fleece sweatshirt I slept in. I was looking pretty bad as I wandered through the mall trying to pick up all the gifts I waited to buy at the last minute. But I must say, I didn't care one bit. And the only people who sorta snubbed me were those working at Hollister.

Cameron was funny tonight. He kept wanting me to open one of his gifts. I kept telling him I was going to wait until Christmas. Finally he was bugging me enough that I gave in. When he gave me the gift, he was laughing. I opened what I could tell was a book, to discover a an old "teaching" book of mine. Cameron wrapped up the book somewhat as a joke, but what he doesn't know, is that it really meant something to me. Because I miss teaching. I was especially missing it this evening because I had just read some Christmas letters from some former colleagues of mine. But there will be time for teaching, when I'm healed, and my kids are all back in school.

Here's a picture one morning of Cameron doing a "Reading Lesson" with Max. I used the same book (How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" to teach Cam how to read, and although Max and I have gotten a late start, he's progressing nicely.

John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Bits and pieces of info

I am feeling MUCH better today. I just decided that I'm going to have to stay on top of my pain medication. That every 4 to 5 hours I'm going to have to take a high dose of Vicodin. I don't want to do this, but even when I drop it a little, I start to have a lot of pain. So until my guests go away, I'm going to keep to this pain medication regiment. Or else I'll just be lying in tears all day, worthless.

Tomorrow, I start a 2nd chemo, called Xeloda. This is a pill I take by mouth. I have to read up on all the side effects and how often I take it, but I THINK it's a daily pill. Obviously I'll make sure I know tomorrow when it's delivered. Here's what's most ironic about this kind of chemo....I won't lose my hair! Except I've already lost my hair from radiation, AND I'll lose my hair from the other chemo...so it doesn't matter!

My Canadian friend Dana set me up with a link to http://www.4women.com/, which has some pricey...but worth it....scarves. They just plop so nicely on your head, are comfortable, and very cute. She used them when she was going through chemo, and I'm definitely going to get at least one more. I do believe that this was the kind Lynette used for her character in Desperate Housewives last year. If you know of someone else losing her hair, this would be a good gift for her.

My sister and 17 year old niece arrived today from New Jersey. It's so nice to be with them, but I hope my kids don't drive them bonkers! They're hoping to go see Madagascar 2 this weekend. Goodness, my kids are having so much fun, they're going to be quite mad when I get healed!

I also have some friends visiting from Utah. I was supposed to be out there visiting THEM much sooner than now, so I feel bad that they're making the trip out here. But it will be great seeing our kids playing together. My friends are so smart, I hope my newfound chemo/brain/radiation fogginess doesn't throw them off too much. A very small price to pay for my healing, but one that I do think about.

Next week I'll have more friends and family to see with the Benefit for the Angel Network.

And on a final note, I have to type that Cameron finished his first Harry Potter book. Now I have a lot of hesitation in writing this. Because I can tell you that he read the words on the page. Did he comprehend it....very little. But that's okay right now. He was SO EXCITED to read it, he was up late trying to sneak in reading by the aquarium light, and he read at every spare moment on the bus, in school, etc, that at this point I don't really care much that he didn't get most of it. He did understand some of it, and after tried to talk with him about it yesterday, (while I was lying flat in bed) he picked up more information to help him comprehend. He's now excited that he finished because I told him last year he had to read each book before I'd let him watch each movie. But I do think that he's extra excited because he finished the book, and he knew that's important to me! I am proud of him.

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Isaiah 41: 8-10, 14-16
But you, O Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
you descendents of Abraham my friend,
I took you from the ends of the earth,
From its farthest corners I called you.
I said, "You are my servant:"
I have chosen you and I have not rejected you.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand...

...Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,
O little Israel,
for I myself will help you," declares the Lord
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
"See I will make you into a threshing sledge,
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains and crush them
and reduce the hills to chaff.
You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale will blow them away.
But you will rejoice in the Lord
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

A page turner

I really love that my son reads.

I really love that when he's so into a story, he'll walk to where he's being called, carrying the novel that has captured his interest, still reading.

It would be nice, though, if he would not just lay the book in the middle of the hallway, grabbing whatever he can find as a bookmark.

(Although, my running shoes are getting more use holding his page than on my own feet.)

Reading

Yesterday, in order to calm both Cameron and Max down after dinner, I made Cameron read his required school book Harold and the Purple Crayon to Max.

As he read to him, on each page, he asked him a question. “Max what do you think Harold is drawing? No, not a moon. Should I give you a hint? It starts with a SSSS sound; it’s something you walk on….”

This continued throughout the entire book. I’d occasionally overhear from the other room. “No Max, are you even listening? You have to listen to know the answers.” Or a “Right! Good job Max.”

Afterwards, Cameron came into the kitchen to tell me about the questioning strategy he was doing with Max. “And do you know why I was asking him all those questions?”

“Why?” I responded.

“So that he could understand the story better. When you ask questions, it helps you understand the story.”

What a little teacher.

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On another book note. Today I bought Ella a Backyardigans book from the bookstore. The title is something like The Backyardigans and the Polka Party. As soon as she saw the cover of the book, she said, “Polka!”

Wish I could say my little darling could read…but really…she just watches too much Nickelodeon.
(Ella picture taken by Sara)

HP Update

Barnes and Noble fooled me, and instead of getting my Harry Potter CDs to me on the 21st, they merely sent them out on the 21st…with the intention of getting it to me by the 23rd. I was pissed, and apparently I wasn’t the only one. Because as I wrote my e-mail of complaint about the fact that I was deceived, the company responded with a generic e-mail explaining to me that they couldn’t respond to me in a timely manner due to the high volume of inquiries about Harry Potter orders.

So I went right out and bought the book. By the time I got home from the boardwalk and put the kids to bed, it was after 10:30. I was able to read 13 whole pages before my eyelids refused to stay open. Then the next day, as I glanced around the beach seeing everyone reading their copy, I had to spend my time making sure my kids didn’t drown, or get lost, or run on top of someone else’s blanket with their sandy feet. So Harry had to wait. At night, after the tantrums I wrote about yesterday, due to some very late and long naps, Max and Ella were awake until 12:30 at night! Needless to say, I only got a few more pages read…I think I’ve finished two whole chapters!

But today the CDs arrived…and as I write, I’m downloading the chapters onto my iPod. Hopefully this new medium, that I can use as I run and on car trips, will help me finish the novel sometime before this year is up!

Harry Potter...say no more!

Tomorrow the final Harry Potter book comes out, and I’ve been stressed out about it months ago ever since the media started mentioning it again. My husband thinks I'm being absolutely ridiculous, but I can't help it.

Why might such an exciting occasion bring on the butterflies?

One reason….those fast readers.

There will be an assortment of kids and adults who have nothing else to do but cozy up with their book and read it from beginning to end in one day. And then whether or not Harry dies will be all over TV, newspapers, radio, etc. Is it possible for me to avoid the media frenzy until I’m able to finish the novel? And then can I steer clear of the conversations of people who will have assumed that I have finished the monstrous text? And what if I overheard someone talking about it in line at the grocery store? Or what if I happen upon a blog that reveals the ending?

See why I'm a little uptight about this? I don’t want this sacred event ruined!

One down...thousands to go

Cameron finished his first chapter book today. We’re all so excited. He’s been reading it to me for the last week. And now he can’t wait to get started on the second book in the series.

I’m not gonna lie and tell you that he just loves reading and that prompted a sudden surge of the activity. No, I finally just stuck with the rule that he couldn’t play on his computer until he read a chapter to me from a Magic Tree House book. At first it was long and slow, but I can honestly tell you that by the end of the novel, his reading had truly improved. Thus, evidence to the fact that you become a better reader by reading….not by answering multiple choice questions at the end of a passage (oh, but that’s a different post).

So although it’s not the great pleasure of the print motivating him, I’m hoping that eventually he will develop a love and I will catch him late one night, with a flashlight under his blanket, reading for the pure joy of it.

Morning Reading

Rare moments of peace, quiet and happiness....for about 5 minutes...then the kicking, screaming, pushing and grabbing of books begins.