See Saw

Here I thought Kean was finally having a good day.

He started out happy for the most part.

But by this afternoon/evening he wouldn't eat more than two (forced) bites

of dinner. He's starting to throw these little tantrums-- for example,

because he had to sit at the table but didn't want to eat.

I've heard from other parents of kids with cancer... about

their children turning into little monsters because while they were sick

they had everyone cater to their every whim.

I'm not quite sure how to handle this.

When he's ornery or  whiny... how do I tell if he's feeling lousy

or just being a bratty toddler?

 While he wouldn't eat dinner, he was more than happy to later scarf down

an ice cream drum stick (Pam bought him a box for his birthday).

Maybe I'm just not serving the right things for dinner, eh?

Speaking of Pam, she took Holland and Greer to the water park for the afternoon and evening.



My girls have zero room to ever complain that they did not have a fabulous summer!

Ba Ba Ba Baldapalooza

Tonight was the test for our big Baldapalooza concert coming up

on September 14th. 

One of our favorite restaurants, Costa Vida held Baldapalooza

night and donated a portion of all food sales to our cause.

And let's just say it was a raging success.

There was a steady line most of the night... 

And our family was surprised by such great support by so many dear friends...

like Liz Glasgow... my all time favorite nurse who took care of me while I was on bed rest

and who helped deliver the Keanut man.

 I kick myself for not taking pictures of the myriad of friends who

came out... some we haven't seen since Kean got sick.

But here are a few highlights...

Recognize Andrea on the right?  She's Kean's Physical Therapist

and those are her two darling kiddos.

 My Aunt Daleen and cousins Kelly and Bryan stopped by...

along with Kerrie below with some of her kids and a few cousins mixed in.

She is here visiting from Virginia... and her daughter, Izzy in front

was diagnosed and survived the same type of cancer Kean is battling.

We LOVE this family.  Kerrie has been my rock on many occasions.

 Two of the guys from the band Waking Jordan hung out with us tonight as well.

Their band was just named Idaho's best band... and the girls wanted

their pictures taken with these two celebs.

They'll be performing at the festival.

 One of the women on our board-- April Bodily has two daughters

who are currently serving as some of our local beauty queens-- Emily

in the middle and Ellie on the right.  They spent the night welcoming guests

and helping to get the word out (and dazzling all the little girls).

 Levi Maliwauki provided live music for the evening.

He's known as the "human jukebox"... and sure lived up to his nickname.

 And finally, I have to show you my "partners in crime".

That's Dustin Simpson in the back... this whole, huge project

is all his fault!!!

He's the one who originally came to us wanting to do a fundraiser

to pay for Kean's medical bills... and it morphed into this huge music

festival to raise funds for projects in the hospital where Kean spends

so much of his time.

 And this is drum roll please... the one and only Lori Swanson.

She is the chairperson of our event.... and has the craziest, biggest heart

you've ever seen.  She is working like a wild woman to

ensure Baldapalooza impresses everyone come September 14th.

The fourth member of our founder's team, Jeanie Stidhem

had to leave early.  And then there's the whole host of men

and women who serve on the board who are giving so much

of themselves to make this all happen.

It's gonna be great... I don't care where you live.

You need to come.

Tix and info at www.baldapalooza.org.



Beach Bums

Kean has gotta love Sundays.

Today was a "three motorcycle ride" kind of day.

A nice ending to a crazy week.

Last night, Byron took the girls up the road to a spot on the Payette river

where there is a great little beach...

and the perfect sized diving rocks.

This little get a way was really a reward for Greer serving as

nursemaid for all of us when we were sick with the flu.

They say it is one of their new favorite places.

p.s.  Kean and I stayed home and watched.... Cars.

Shocking, I know.

Mister Miracle Turns Four

Part of me feels like this has been the longest four years of my life

and the other part feels as if Kean was just born a short while ago.

Either way, it's hard to believe four years have passed and

what a wild ride it has been.

You know we've had an insane week with Kean's hospital stay

and then all of us except for Greer getting the flu.

I was planning on postponing the boy's birthday until next week--

but I think my amazing friends didn't want Keanut to be cheated

out of "his" day.

 Jean Richardson showed up shortly before noon bearing gobs and gobs of balloons

and the cutest home-made birthday cake.

For you long time readers, Jean was my friend who visited me every week-- all 11

weeks I was in the hospital on bed rest to bring me the most beautiful bouquets

from her garden.

 Kean's big excitement for the day was going to therapy at

Kaleidoscope-- his therapist's clinic.

 He didn't have a ton of energy but he worked his little tail feathers off

and fell asleep in the car on the way home.

 While he was napping, our dear friends, Pam and Rod Brown

brought over more balloons-- including a Cars balloon.

 In fact, Cars seems to be the theme for the day.

And why shouldn't it be... the boy is obsessed with that movie.

Greer went shopping with Grammy and got him a shirt.

(He was thrilled).

Pam and Rod gave him a Cars car that goes zoom...

 and a coloring book that he just was enamored with!

 We had  quite the time trying to teach him how to blow out the candles...

 For a day that started out as a non-birthday...

I have to say, I think he had a pretty great day!

Reunited

We got hit fast and hard... and thankfully, we all recovered rather quickly.

By late last night, we were feeling somewhat human again.

But, boy was that a nasty flu bug.

My mom brought Keanut home this afternoon--

I don't know who missed each other more-- us or him.

I finally got out of the house this evening.  I took the girls by the library

for the end of the summer reading program celebration.

They had a full on magic show...

 And then afterwards, the girls each got to pick out a free book,

grab a snow cone and get a certificate for meeting their reading goals.

Tomorrow is Keanut's big 4th birthday.

Can't believe the little guy is that old!!!!

With our wild week, though, I think we will be partying sometime

next week.  Good thing he's young enough not to know any different.

The Family That Throws Up Together, Stays Together

The Plague has hit and boy, has it hit hard.

As you know Reese got sick yesterday afternoon.

Holland got sick at 4 a.m.,

Byron started his bout at 6 a.m.

and I joined the party at 7 a.m.

Greer is the lone hold-out-- thank heavens.



She has been our little Nurse Nightingale... since the rest of us

have pretty much been in bed miserable or in the bathroom...

well you know.

Our sweet girl got up early this morning, made hot oatmeal and

bowls of cereal for all of us.

None of us were in any place to even think of food--

so the poor girl burst into tears.

She is such a sweetie and has worked her tail off today.

Teresa Peery, I'm told by Greer, brought over Chicken Noodle soup

and Sprite.  I haven't made it downstairs to see.

Hopefully, tomorrow.

My mom has had Kean all day and will keep him overnight.

I hear he is doing fine.

That's a good sign that this flu bug won't last too horribly long.
What we won't do to spend time together as a family!

G'night all.

Home Sick Home

Oh it is good to be home.

Hospitals will never win any awards for places to get any sleep-- I don't care how exhausted you are!

Yesterday started out just fine.

Kean went on a walk with Chelsea and was as happy as a clam.

Chelsea met me at Kean's doctor's office where he had a hearing aid check

and seemed himself...

it was when he woke up from his nap

that he seemed really lethargic.

Shortly after that, he started vomiting and I mean vomiting---

everything came out!!!

The on-call Oncologist had us come down and get admitted to the hospital

when he wouldn't stop the vomiting.

This particular doctor, Dr. Hansen told me he had a patient recently

who was in the hospital and kept saying he just felt off.

Even though he never presented with a fever, Dr. Hansen put him on

antibiotics for a precaution.  But he said 30 minutes after he started  him

on antibiotics, the boy spiked a fever and passed away.

What a scary, horrific story.

Dr. Hansen said you can see why he wouldn't take any chances with Kean and his

fragile condition.

He put pretzel boy on antibiotics and IV fluids (he was already dehydrated).



 Holland went with me to the hospital.

(She got the much coveted job of holding the bowl as Kean threw up

in the car on the way to the hospital).

Lucky girl made herself a little bed and somehow managed to sleep

through alarms, the child continuously screaming next door that his leg hurt,

the nurses coming in every two hours to check Kean's vitals and the Ultrasound

on his bladder at 5 a.m.

Just to keep things interesting, Kean somehow held his urine from

4p.m. yesterday until about 9 a.m. this morning-- that's even

with continuous IV fluids filling him up.

Thankfully, he finally went and woke up this morning

a new little man.

He was quite happy watching -- yes, you know, Cars.

And he even ate a great breakfast this morning and kept it all in.

 It was like reunion time at the hospital-- we saw doctors, nurses

and Stephanie-- his favorite music therapist.

 So the good news is.. we are home-- exhausted-- but home.

The bad news is... Reese started throwing up this evening.

My dear friend Teresa Peery took Reese and Greer for the day since we were gone.

And get this... she even made us dinner.

And how do I thank her?

By possibly infecting her entire family with the crud.

I'm hoping, hoping, hoping, Reese didn't get them all sick.

Ug.

Everyone else is feeling fine though.

Holland went to her church youth activity this evening where they

learned to kayak and canoe. 

I don't know where she gets her energy.

I'm still in Zombie mode.

Thankfully, Kean turned a corner quickly.

I'm hoping Reese will follow suit.