My Little Artists

While searching Pinterest the other day (you know, something I never do...lol) and I cam across a list of 100 things to do this summer with your kids.  Julianna loved the list and we decided every few days we'll pick something from the list to do.  Yesterday, she picked finger painting.  But since I can't do things simply, we went to the craft store and bought the kids each a small canvas and some paint that went with the colors in our family room.

But that's still not the end of my meddling in their finger painting.  Joe cut out a tractor & a barn and taped them onto Will's canvas and I cut out a bunch of different size flower petals from painters tape and arranged them on Julianna's canvas.  Then they got to paint to their heart's content.

Having lots of fun!

Will's painting

Messy, messy, messy

Julianna's painting

Not quite as messy

After just a few minutes of drying we removed the tape & pictures...here's how cute they turned out!

Julianna is looking forward to getting to choose another activity from the list.

New Chemo...Again

After weeks of waiting, I finally have a new treatment plan.  If you hadn't heard yet, my previous chemo had stopped working.  I currently have 7 new lumps that I can actually feel.  My back pain has also returned.  I spent an entire weekend on a morphine pump in order to get the pain under controls and I am again on pretty good size doses of it to keep the pain under control.  So despite my last scan showing such great results things have progressed and very quickly.

Starting next week I will begin a new chemo regimen.  I will be getting topotecan and ifosfimide.  They are both drugs that I haven't had before.  I'm a little nervous just because I'm not sure what to expect as far as side effects go.  But Dr G is optimistic about this combo.  I will have chemo 3 days in a row every 3 weeks.  Prayers are still going up that I can kick the cancer's booty and I have no doubt that I will.

One change I have made to hopefully help reach that goal, is a big change in my diet (well it was a big change) 2 weeks ago, I decided to become a vegetarian.  I was doing really well too ( a few bites of chicken at a wedding...I RSVP'd before changing my diet, and a hot dog at a baseball game...how do you resist that?).  Joe & the kids (well the kids had no choice) decided to make the change with me.  After talking with Dr G (who is apparently very anti-vegetarian)a new decision was made based on me & my actual nutritional needs.  I am going to eat meat occasionally (maybe 1 or 2 times a week), but will continue making the switch to all whole foods.  If you want to follow my journey as far as food goes you can read about it at my other "old" blog, Spoons, Spades & Stitches.

I am really hoping that this new chemo will help me kick the back pain quickly and get me off the pain meds (no driving privileges again) so I can get back to normal.

Julianna and I at the CP picnic and baseball game.

Special Nights Out with the Kiddos

Joe & I have been trying to do more fun things with the kiddos this summer, especially since last summer was such a bust due to my surgery.  So Friday night, Joe took Will to a local truck night.  Will loves big trucks, but even more Will loves tractors and it was lawn tractor tractor pulls.  Needless to say Will had a blast.

Yesterday we took Julianna to the cerebral palsy picnic & minor league baseball game afterwards that's sponsored by the children's hospital where her doctor is.  Erin & Jason went as well and took all 3 of their kids.  The kids all enjoyed playing kiddie carnival games, making crafts & posing in character pictures.

Ellie

Julianna

Ian

Emma

We also stood in line forever because the kids wanted their faces painted...I think it was worth it...look how cute they turned out!

Julianna wanted a butterfly.

 Erin's kids were all tigers.

They all enjoyed the baseball game too.  Julianna had been asking for months when the carnival & baseball game at her "special doctor's" was...now she's asking when the next one is.  Haha!