Random Notes on Tarceva, Jingle Bells and Peeps
Friday was a triumphant day. First Owen did himself proud in his holiday concert. Forgive the grainy little clips. First there is a rousing performance of Jingle Bells----you can see Owen looking over at his father constantly. Then you can see him deliver his line...."Kwanzaa is an AFRican AMERican HOLIday"...with great verve and zest. Much relief was felt given his disastrous dress rehearsal which almost broke his spirit.... He told me that night---in the middle of the night mind you---that when he looked out at all those people he couldn't help smiling.
My sweet pea.
I rushed off as soon as it was over and zoomed over to the oncologist with Judi. The good news is that the Tarceva is working and her liver numbers were much better. It didn't feel quite as celebratory as the lab didn't run the CA19-9 test which she has been going by and she didn't feel too great. Dr. Graham was confident that the liver numbers indicated it was doing its job however---but she will have the CA19-9 done this week just to reassure herself. Good news though.
The rest of the weekend was a bit of a blur. Ernie and I are just wiped out. Worn out. Wiped out. I'd been toying with the idea of having a last minute appetizer potluck kind of thing this Friday but I'm not sure I can get it together. Owen was hoping we would because he wanted Adam Schmitt to come. Oh, and Owen's latest name for a band? The Adams. Yep.
Saturday we had my mother and Debbie over for dinner. Smoked paprika roast chicken, risotto and arugula and cherry tomato salad---turned out pretty well. Judi didn't last too long---she was pretty tired but afterward the rest of us sat around the table laughing and talking....looking through the old Barbie stuff we'd brought back from Judi's house. I must post some pictures of the clothes my mother and grandmother made. Amazing stuff....little 1960's dresses and knitted sweaters and coats, etc....
(I'm too sad to even write about the fact that my sister Debbie went back to Boston)
Owen even got my mother to wear the Santa hat....and look how good she looks!
Owen thought our old Ken doll was HILARIOUS. For some reason he thought Ken's butt--and lack of penis were incredibly amusing. Poor No Peep Ken. A slightly related recent story: when Leo was little he couldn't say the word penis and so they became known as peeps at our house. Now this amused me to no end and I can't even begin to tell you about the first Easter I offered Leo a marshmallow peep. HA! ANYWAY...the other day I walked into the media room to find Ernie and the boys absolutely enthralled with a tv show about things blowing up. It was called Destroyed in Seconds or something like that. I just stood there watching them and then finally said, "oh that's right, you all have penises." Ernie just smirked but the the boys howled "MO-ooommmm." I said, "hey, I can say that---after all you DO have penises" to which Owen replied, "how would you like it if I just called you No Peep?" "No Peep Cynthia?" I said, "hmmm....I think I like that." So now periodically Owen calls me No Peep. Me and Ken...