Monday, July 31st

Okay, does someone want to tell me where July went? Time flies when you are a stress case!! Well as Steve would say "the beat goes on". Anyway, the cancer camp had it's high and low points. Alex's balance is off and he did not like the gravel terrain, so he wanted to be carried everywhere. That gets old after a while, especially when the request is accompanied by a temper tantrum of sorts. The high points consisted of Alex eating marshmallows until his tummy hurt, meeting families with similar circumstances, cool weather, no bugs and the absolutely beautiful scenery!! This camp at Eagle Lake is the nicest I have ever visited. Our cabin was right off the lake edge. Steve played some disc golf while Alex, Zoe and I played on the beach. Saturday night we played 20 questions with our Q20 game by lantern light in the cabin. We had a lot of fun letting Alex answer the questions. His standard response became "sommmetimes". It was good for everyone to get away for a while. We left early Sunday morning, had breakfast at Village Inn and headed home. Steve has a very busy week ahead and needed to get a head start and Alex was ready to go as well.

Steve and I think we have figured something out about Alex and his moods. It would seem that on the third day following chemo Alex's mood takes a dive toward sadness, weariness and outright crankiness. I hope now that we can predict the situation, we'll be better able to handle the consequences. One can only hope!

Also, we realized this morning that this is Alex's last week at his school. Alex has been a student there since he was four months old. Alex is leaving because he won a lottery spot into our neighborhood DPS school which is also a Montessori, dual language school. His best friend, Esther, will be in his class and Alex is excited to start class at the end of August. We are sad to leave Alex's classmates, but he'll still be around to help me pick up Zoe (hopefully, if we can swing it financially).

My boss has made me an offer I can not refuse. I'll be on the job once a week until we are done with chemo. I do work for the best company in Denver!!! This will allow me to keep in touch with the workplace and take care of the kids while getting Alex all the therapy he needs. I am so grateful to everyone at work since this will definitely change things up a bit. I am looking forward to starting my new schedule this week. Thanks everyone!!! You are the BEST!!

Well I have a list of calls to make. I have just got to figure something out with Alex's sleep. He is so very restless at night and the night terrors are not diminishing. Sleep is such a luxury nowadays! I try to get up during the night so Steve can be rested but I also know this deprivation can not continue for much longer. Hopefully, naps will become part of the new routine!

I hope everyone is staying cool. My hometown, OKC, was on NPR this morning. They have had 17 days of triple digit temperatures with no relief in sight. I knew there was a reason I left Oklahoma! Even though the kind, generous souls there are unmatched anywhere else on earth.


More later, have a great day and God bless.

G