Umm. Thanks. I hope that my new blog bling isn't some sort of computer version of MRSA.
I guess we should get some kind of award for our hellish past year. So, thanks for the handsome badge I’ve placed over yonder. Thanks for reading, voting, selling your souls or whatever you've done to get me on this list, and my apologies for neglecting you for these many months. Thanks for accepting my snarky writing style. Above all, thanks for caring about my family. I will get y’all up to speed…
The first day of school is nearly upon us (as a dear friend of mine pointed out today, this should be celebrated as Mother’s Day), and both girls are ready and able to attend. Molly will join her fellow grub tart 4-year olds in Pre-K, and Amelia will graduate from raucous group table to prim individual desks in her First Grade classroom. This is a welcome contrast to last fall, when Amelia was still newly in treatment, H1N1 was rampant, and appointments were so frequent that school became an impractical pain in the arse until this past January.
Now here we are in August, with precisely one year of maintenance treatment left – yes, we’ve chugged up to and over the summit, and so far, Amelia is coasting down the other side of Pharmaceutical Mountain. Of great relief is that as of this date, she has yet to suffer any apparent long-term side effects from chemotherapy – things like learning disabilities, bone loss, fertility problems, and heart disease. We won’t be able to proceed with utter confidence that these late effects have bypassed Amelia entirely, but so far, so good.
Both girls are delightful at times, challenging more often than not, and growing to be great friends. They have spent the summer swimming, playing with friends, and hanging out with Jamie in a role-reversal known as “Mr. Mom Takes On Child-Rearing”. I’ve gone back to work in my much-beloved hot, busy kitchen. We’ve added another dog and a mandolin to our brood, Amelia has had two haircuts to Molly's one, and we’re preparing for some exciting (soon-to-be-announced) changes this coming spring. No, they aren’t the kind of announcements that wear diapers and barf down your shirt.
That’s about it for now, folks. I’ve attached some pictures below. Enjoy the remainder of your summer, hug your loved ones, and maybe I’ll write more to you soon.
Cheers,
Jen
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| Earrings in March (it was an upright photo in the album, I swear) |
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| Make-A-Wish Disney Trip in April (more on that later, perhaps) |
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| Captain Hook? |
