Dirty World

We brought home a lot of stuff from Disney World.

Ari got a toy monorail, Alison got a glittery Little Mermaid doll, and Matt got 4 pairs of jeans (don't ask).  The kids came home with crayons in the shapes of dolphins, Mickey stuffed animals, board games, tiaras, hats, and key chains.  We purchased lots of pictures to remember the smiling faces and to capture the moments of pure joy and excitement.

Oh, and we got something else.  It was a unique memento from the trip.  I'm not sure if it came from the airplane or from It's a Small World or from the Moroccan restaurant in Epcot.  But Alison was the one who brought it home.  Then she gave it to me.  I passed it along to my parents.  And because we try to teach the value of sharing, I have now handed it over to Ari. 

We all have the yuckiest little virus ever.  High temp, bad cough, and general feeling of malaise.  Alison and I are finally feeling better.  Ari is just starting to show symptoms.  Luckily his counts are high, so although he will need to go in daily for IV antibiotics (because even though we are 99% certain he has the same virus, they need to be 100% sure he does not have an infection), he will not be admitted to the hospital.  So we're home, jacked up on Tylenol and Gatorade, and still thinking about the fun we had at the Germiest Happiest Place on Earth.

"Look Mom, I made Cinderella's Castle with my fruit leather..."

Dum-bo-nus of our trip. Let's hope Ari is better tomorrow-land.

(Ok. I really struggled with an ending. Forgive me. I'm sick!)

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Make-another-Wish

Dear Make-a-Wish,

We got back from Ari's wish trip on Tuesday, and after much reflection, I need to ask a favor.

You see, here's the thing.  The trip was amazing, stupendous, and truly unforgettable.  I can honestly say the week away (our first in two years) was medicine for the soul.  It was an escape from chemo and cancer and for all of us was a healthy dose of laughter and family and fun.  In fact, it was almost perfect. 

Ari rode almost all of the rides (including Tower of Terror and Test Track):

He saw almost all of the animals on safari:

He swam in the pool almost every day:

He ate almost 9 full containers of yellow popcorn:

He met almost every character:

He fed almost every dolphin:

He roasted marshmallows almost every evening:

He finished almost a whole Mickey rice krispie treat and ice cream:

And he had a smile on his face almost the whole entire time:

It was a jam-packed fun-filled week and he did almost everything.  Another week would definitely cover almost everything else. 

Thank you Make-a-Wish for a magical, wonderful, incredible trip.

Love,

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Hair we go again

Have you seen Ari's hair lately?

Well, take a good look now or you may miss it.  Because it's falling out.  Again.

WhatthefuckpeopleIthoughtwewerepastthisstage?

Yeah so I'm slightly annoyed.  And sad.  And I may or may not have been sobbing when I called the doctor yesterday to ask if it is normal.  And it is.  We have been warned for months that this would probably happen.  "Chemo attacks rapidly growing cells."  And hair falls into that category. 

So sayonara thick blond beautiful hair.  Hello pity looks.  I haven't missed you.

Count down to Disney World 3 1/2 days.  I can't wait.  The to-do list is long and I'm slightly overwhelmed: Laundry, pack, shave legs, and get Ari a hair cut.  Oh wait, scratch that last one off the list.  Phew - one less thing to do. 

See I always look on the bright side.

Hair today, gone tomorrow.

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