::faithful – prayers of thanksgiving – we’ve made it through rounds three and four of chemo and I’m still smiling!  Everyone is fed and has clean clothes!  I’m learning to ignore the dust bunnies! Praying for Mr. Pea. He has a nasty respiratory virus going on and is coughing coughing coughing.  He needs some rest.  Praying for The Architect who is working through crunchtime with the school’s robotics team.  Praying for Cherry Ames and Princess Pea.  Praying for DirtBike, too, as we resolve issues in academia.

::creative – I’m working on creative napping.  Where can I flop myself down for a nap? Aside from the car while Mr. Pea is driving, how about the sofa in the living room? The sofa in the family room?  A lounge chair on the back deck in the sun?  One of the empty beds in the girls’ room?  How long can I stretch said nap by pretending to be sound asleep while the rest of the family swishes by with dramatic whispering of “Be QUIET!!  Mom is sleeping!”  What cap should I wear on my cold head?  Can I get away with laying down on a yoga mat in my office during  lunch hour and catching forty winks?  ABSOLUTELY!

::pondering –  Being tired.  I’m so used to being perky.  It’s weird to not be perky. Coffee doesn’t make a dent.  The only thing to do?  MORE NAPPING!!  Mwahahahaha!

::Kill All the Cells!! – I’ve had to put myself in time out again and declare every room in the house other than my bedroom a “No Whining Zone”.  That means no whining from me. I was just a Crabby Patty this weekend and I was making everyone else miserable.  Why?  because steroids stink.  I’ve never liked taking them (i.e. for severe allergic reactions, poison ivy, etc.) because they make me so darned irritable. Irritable as in growling and snapping at innocent bystanders; as in being totally unreasonable about ridiculous things like sweeping the kitchen floor; or flipping out because someone used a white bath towel to clean up a hot chocolate spill. And mustard.

This round of steroids is now over and I don’t have to take any for two weeks.  I’ve apologized, we’ve had family hugs, and it’s a beautiful new week with a fresh start.  Yes! The abundance of Grace showering down on us is humbling.

::delicious

• Frozen pizza, tossed salad
• Chili and cornbread from the neighbor
• Chicken soup, rolls
• Jimmy Johns’ Sandwiches
• Leftovers
• Something Else
• Oh mercy, I’ll figure it out later!

::fun – The kids saw The Lego Movie and have declared it to be fun.  Mr. Pea and I may try to see it this weekend.  The weather is finally returning to our typical Texas Winter status (warmer), so the boys have been out riding bikes and driving the RC car all over the neighborhood.  I did pull Princess Grace and Lady Penelope from the bike shed, but I haven’t actually set my behind on  a saddle.  Napping was more appealing this weekend. They’re available, though, should I decide to pedal around the block.

::fashionable –  boucle skirt, bright turquoise cardigan, flippy strawberry blonde wig. Big pearl earrings and matching bracelet.  I’m almost totally bald now…toss me some overalls and funky goggles, and I look like a Minion!  The irony of it all?  The most determined strands of hair are the shiny silver and white ones.  *sigh*

::looking ahead –  Maybe a banquet on Thursday evening with friends (depends on how well I feel) school for the boys, work, napping and more napping.  Did I mention napping?

Take Another Nap. Keep the Faith.

::faithful – prayers of thanksgiving and joy – it was such a beautiful weekend! My youngest sister got a job after months and months of unemployment!  My dear Jane is recovering and feeling better!

::Kill All the Cells!! – First chemo infusion went well.  The nurses are nice, they think I’m ridiculously perky and cheerful, and the side effects were bearable.  The spiffy part is that for the first time in my adult life I DO NOT FEEL GUILTY about laying down and taking a nap. Over the past couple decades of raising offspring, I’ve stayed alert and let Mr. Pea nap on the weekends.  Why?  Because even with only teens and their friends hanging around the house, a responsible ‘adult’ needs to be present at all times. You never know when powertools or other contraband may be put to use by underaged humans. This weekend? I didn’t automatically volunteer to keep watch.  I put on my pajamas, closed the drapes and climbed into bed for a proper nap.  More than one nap, even!  I needed those naps.  I relished those naps!

My port site is healing nicely, and all family members are suitably intrigued and grossed out all at the same time.

::creative – Knitting again…a super cute beanie to wear post head-shaving. It’s going to look sort of like this, except mine is a lovely blueish-lavender, and knit from a silk/bamboo yarn.  Oooooh, it’s so soft!!

::pondering –  Science.  Chemotherapy works by disrupting the way DNA and RNA reproduce.  Didja read that?  DISRUPTS the way DNA forms.  That means it messes with the insides of my cells on purpose.  How on earth did doctors and scientists first think, “Hey!  Let’s see if we can rearrange life force building blocks and stop cancer!”   How amazing is God’s inspiration in the way we learn and discover and how grace filled we are to have such intelligence at our disposal.

::delicious – Major culinary celebration going on in the Pea House this week.  Why? BECAUSE WE FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY GOT A NEW OVEN!!!  No kidding.  You may pick your jaws up off the floor.  Mr. Pea and the boys installed it yesterday afternoon while I Happy Danced all around the kitchen.  Almost three years my friends…three years without a properly functioning oven.  Three years of borrowing others’ kitchens for special cooking occasions, making do with a countertop convection toaster oven and a crock pot.  Three years of not baking Christmas Cookies.  (I had a back up plan this Christmas to have a cookie baking day with a friend, but sadly, it panned out.)  This does not mean that the kitchen remodel is back on.  It just means that I could no longer function a single minute more without an oven.  It mostly means that I was totally successful in helping Mr. Pea understand how much easier it will be for him to cook/reheat/warm entire meals during the next several months, and that I helped him embrace life with an oven that heats up, stays on and won’t catch the cabinets on fire.

• Ribs, Potato Salad and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Roasted Lemon Chicken, Green Beans
• Leftover Ribs, Roasted Butternut Squash
• Baked Ziti, Spinach Salad
• Tamale, Corn and Black Bean Casserole (baked)
• Baked Meatloaf, Smashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccoli
• Roasted Turkey Breast, Baked Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus
• Breakfast Casserole!
• Homemade Cupcakes!
• Big Batch of Homemade Granola!
• Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!

::fun – Oh My Gosh!  BOTH of our daughters were home this weekend – the whole family at the dinner table!!  It was such a nice surprise.  Mr. Pea and I saw Saving Mr. Banks – lovely and sad.   I think the kids are going to sneak out today and head to the Stock Show, since it’s a gorgeous day and a school holiday to boot.

::fashionable –  Charcoal tweed dress pants, blue ribbon knit cardigan, white silk blouse and super-duper fun shoes.  They are grey flannel pumps with little butterflies and vines.

Oh yes they are!

::looking ahead –  Dentist appointment for DirtBike, Chemo Round Two, Big ‘Ole Shot of Neulasta, Plan Submittals for Clients, More Napping, More Baking.

Take a Nap. Keep the Faith.

::faithful – praying for my oldest daughter, for fun travels and a safe return home; for my younger daughter, for discernment on her education goals; for my sons; for Jane as she recovers from back surgery. 

::news from the cancer battlefield – Appointment on Friday with the oncologist to finalize “The Plan” moving forward.  Still trying to get into a clinical trial as a guinea pig.

::creative – Nothing overly exciting this week.  Spent a lot of daydreaming about things to knit, sew and create in the coming year.  Also spent many hours trying to figure out how to rearrange our home and make private space for Mr. Pea’s Mom.  Yes, she is still going to come live with us, probably before spring. Her health is declining more quickly now, and she really needs help getting around.

::pondering –  I wonder if Mr. Pea is overestimating the strength and patience he will need in taking care of both me and his Mom in the coming year.  I am also thinking about how taking care of my own health is going to affect my family.  Will the kids be totally freaked out at a Mom who is temporarily not the energetic woman they know?  Will they recognize the absolute necessity for me to turn inward and focus on myself instead of caring for them? Heck, will I be able to focus on myself, concentrate on getting rest and staying strong while the chemo does its thing?  I’ve always been the Homekeeper – doing, fetching, cooking and cleaning – as well as the Chief Logistics Officer – planning, organizing and scheduling for the entire crew.  However, I know that I won’t have my normal physical strength and endurance for several months.  How will we adapt?

::delicious –

• Lemon Chicken, Mixed Veggies and Tossed Salad
• Mediterranean Vegetable Soup, Parmesan Sage Biscuits
• Seven Layer Dip, Tamales and Black Eyed Peas
• Pork Roast, Spiced Apples, Green beans
• Red Beans and Rice
• Shepherd’s Pie, Tossed Salad
• Tomato Basil Bisque, Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

::fun – Well, the kids are having fun!  Cherry Ames is going to the Dominican Republic for a wedding, Princess Pea, the Architect and DirtBike have been hanging out with their friends over the Christmas break.  Mr. Pea and I?  We’re resting; storing energy and just enjoying the chaos of having all our kids home at the same time.

::fashionable –  Warm is the statement of the day.  It’s cold again, and it’s absolutely FREEZING in my office.  Well, not technically, freezing, just feel like it freezing.  It’s about 64 degrees in here this morning, which feels pretty cold while I’m sitting still at the computer.  I’m wearing black tights, a black wool skirt, electric turquoise blouse and a black cardigan.  I have my coat draped over my lap and a fuzzy wrap draped around my shoulders. My fingers are numb.  🙂

::looking ahead –  Another week of work – storm water system modeling, spec writing and pavement analysis. A quiet New Year celebration at home.

  Keep the Faith.