Payton's 1st Day of Preschool!

Ok, this is such a great day! Payton’s 1st day of Preschool, am I sad? No, not at all, I’m thrilled. I remember several moths ago Becki asking me if Payton would be able to attend preschool and I had to reply that I was not sure. I hoped that he would make it through all the chemo and radiation and hoped more than anything that I would see the day he could go. It was so wonderful seeing him there and I loved every minute of it. Payton was so eager to be going that he literally ran across the street (yes, how convenient is that being across the street?) and he was as excited as he could be. What a great accomplishment. We made it to preschool, hooray.

Payton has his Cousin Ella in his class as well as Geoffrey and Nick from church. I can’t remember the names of the other two girls in his class. He was so excited to be with the cute kids.

Labor Day!

It dawned on me today what we were doing last Labor day. We were in between chemo treatments and were exhausted since we had been tied to the hospital all summer. We decided to get away for the afternoon and drive to Fossil Rim. We stopped at a gas station to get ice for our cooler. It felt so exciting to be getting away out of town even if it was only for a few hours. I remember thinking to myself that I wanted to get in the car and drive far away and never come back. I remember thinking at that point that this would never end. Wow, what a difference a year makes.

Today we were actually quite content just to be at home. We made a quick trip to Fry’s to get a replacement piece for my laptop and afterwards, we were all ready to go home. Chad took the day off and we never are all off together, we are all exhausted from playing tag (switching off the kids) that it actually just felt good to have us all home for a day.

A quiet relaxing week...

It’s been a quiet and very relaxing week with Savannah being back in school. In some ways it was kind of a nice change from the summer routine of trying to find something to do every day. Payton has been very content to stay home and play with his toys. He received a Diego Mega Blocks set from his Grandparents for his Birthday back in April and has spent countless hours playing with it. I love it when we get so much play value out of a toy. Payton calls Diego “Ego” while playing and I have to chuckle every time he does. I also love the way he says lemonade and Christmas. I get a big kick out of how he talks with his cute three-year old vocabulary. I could just sit and listen to him talk all day and never get anything done. Last night I accidentally poked Payton’s eye and I could tell it was bothering him and he said “mom, I need a new eye, can I have speed racer’s eye?”

Savannah seems to have had a great week being back to school. She struggled so much last year adjusting to the school routine, it took her almost the whole year. I remember her teacher saying in April “Savannah is finally coming out of her shell.” I know it had a lot to do with what our family was going through. I am so pleased to hear that she is making friends and doing as well as she is. I enjoy watching her come home and hearing about her day. I hope that she will continue to do well.

Payton starts preschool next week with Miss Becki. He is so excited to start and was telling me today that he needs a “Mach 5 Back Pack from Speed Racer.” I love that he is all boy.

With Savannah being in school and Payton still sleeping in, I have spent my last few mornings reading some care pages and catching up with some of the little kids that we used to follow while Payton was going through treatment. I have to admit that I stopped reading them for a while, because it was making me too sad, but I decided that it would be good to start up again and also because my heart is still with these kids and they are always on my mind. I need to be reminded of this. Reading some of these has made me look back and remember the day that Payton was diagnosed and that is a day every cancer patient and their family always remember. I remember the indescribable fear I felt as cancer came crashing into our lives. The world we knew before this day is a thing of the past. Once the door has opened, there is no closing it again. It amazes me how MUCH it changes families. I see so many different situations; between relapse, multiple problems during treatment and the horrible lose of their loved ones. I love reading these because what these families teach is the true meaning of determination. It amazes me how something like this makes us appreciate the small things in life and cherish the relationships we have. Frequently, I hear these families remark to live each day to the fullest for you never know what tomorrow might bring. It always amazed me the strength that we had throughout this and the strength that I see that these families are given to get through this. How would you do it otherwise?

I have never in my life dealt with a situation in which I felt so little control and it has taught me to learn what the true meaning of FAITH is.

I can hardly believe that Payton is almost to his 6 month post-treatment mark. He is really doing great and has recovered nicely. I love that his hair is coming back and that he is filling out again. He seems to be catching up quite fast. Although, for some reason Payton likes to play a little rough, he is really sweet and isn’t intentionally mean, just likes to play rough. We are trying to teach him that he doesn’t have to be so tough, I don’t know if it’s because he has had to be a fighter the past year or if we are just now making up for missing out on the terrible two stage. Who knows what kind of delayed reaction this can all have on a three year old?

We start to get extremely nervous when thinking about the scans approaching next Friday (September the 5th). I can’t even let myself think about it. I hate that they are on a Friday, so we probably won’t see results until Monday; it’s a long time to wait.

The outlet to my computer was bad and I decided to head to Radio Shack this morning to see if I could get a new one. Payton was with me and I told him that we needed to go to the store. After checking out with the new outlet that I needed Payton reached up to the counter and told the guy “Thanks for fixing my mom’s puter.” He made me smile and chuckle since he is really such a polite little boy. I’ve always said that I just want my kids to have good manners. Maybe I’m doing something right.

Big 2nd Grader heading back to school!

Last night we decided to set Savannah’s clothes out for the entire week. She always does better when she knows ahead of time what she is wearing. This morning, she got and decided she no longer wanted to wear what we had picked out. Being the sucker that I am for the 1st Day of school, I said go ahead and pick something else out. Usually I insist that she wears what we picked out the night before so there is no confrontation in the morning. Finally after trying on three different outfits we find the right one. Hallelujah! I want her to feel comfortable and good about what she is wearing and yet I am trying to teach her that it’s more important what’s in the inside. 2nd Grade and I am already dealing with this. I know that I am in for it.

Savannah was extremely nervous to start today and was complaining of her tummy hurting. She really had a hard time falling asleep last night. It’s my hope that she will adjust to getting back to a routine quickly.

I can’t believe that you are in 2nd Grade Savannah. We have had such a great summer together and have made some awesome memories, it was so much better than last year. You are growing up so fast and I love watching you go through every stage in your life. Don’t grow up too fast; you are still my little girl. I love you sweetie!

Late night snack

Payton has had quite the appetite lately. We will find him in the kitchen making himself a snack, or should I say another meal, just after we have eaten. The other day he managed to fix himself some left over grilled chicken and rice. Tonight he decided he was hungry for a turkey sandwich. He usually decideds to do it while nobody is looking since he knows what the answer will be. He must be going through a growth spurt and is looking so great.

Payton's masterpiece.