We've been flirting with normalcy for several weeks now. She has had only one clinic visit in the last three weeks and does not have to go back until next Tuesday. She has had no meds (zero) for three whole days now. Where we used to spend hours a day preparing and administering everything from food to IV antibiotics we now read more stories, take longer baths, and spend way more time than we probably should at the dinner table.
Over the past year I remember fantasizing over what we would do with all the "free" time we'd have together as a family, "once this is all over". I am living with the realization that this is not a situation that just goes back to normal... but flirting with normal is way more than enough. She begins physical therapy next week - took a month to get the insurance straightened out enough so that the therapy won't bankrupt us (they always find a way to get you when you're down to midlin'); from what I remember of PT - it's not fun, however the place we found specializes in children and looks like a giant playgym. The staff are friendly and the kids there seemed to be having fun.
Grandma and Grandpa Austin treated the kids (and me!) to a fun-filled weekend at Disneyland earlier in the month and the two of them were unstoppable (Bruno and Gianni were full of vigor as well!). Big fun. We barely made it out of Tomorrow land ("To infinity and beyond!") and the definite highlights were getting to "meet" some favorite characters and late night fireworks.
We had "Breakfast with the Characters" on Sunday morning and as part of the experience a "cast member" takes a picture of the kids with Tinkerbell (the kids cup their hands for the picture taking and when you collect the photo, Tinkerbell has magically appeared on their palms). Gianni was so enchanted with the idea that Tinkerbell had actually landed in her hand that when she saw the real live Tink "fly" from the Matterhorn to the castle during that evenings firework show she put her hands together the way the photographer at breakfast had shown her and waited for Tink to land in her cupped hands. She waited like that for the entire show.
My grandma (the kids' GG) could use some good thoughts - she broke her foot last July has had to be cared for in a nursing home since. She's not feeling so well. Her birthday is on Monday - 93 years old!
Today we are gearing up for some Halloween fun. Gianni wants to be a "fairy princess"; with wings. This is no surprise, in fact it is the exact same thing she was last year. I even toyed with convincing her to wear the same costume with a few new embellishments but... Halloween is just this one time a year and living in the present makes it so easy to start everything fresh (plus, how cute). Bruno wants to be either Buzz Lightyear or the Grim Reaper... true testament to my little boy - growing up. Tonight we'll make edible eyeballs for his Kindergarten class. After Thanksgiving, Halloween is my favorite holiday.
She gets stronger everyday.
It will be 1-year since her diagnosis and surgery two weeks from Friday. Her 2nd post-treatment MRI is Nov 21.
