Two Years

September 7, 2010 was the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Most would say that is my cancerversary, but it just doesn't feel right to me.  I'm not sure exactly which day I should use to track the passage of time... I would pick April13, 2011 since that was my last day of radiation because I thought was the end of active treatment until my oncologist told me recently that she still considers me in active treatment since I still take daily medication... so does that mean I shouldn't start tracking my time until April 13, 2016, the day I hope to stop the daily pill?  The first day of school also resonates with me as the day it became real... Or, maybe I should pick September 1, the day the radiologist didn't want to cause "undue anxiety."

Who knows.  In the end it doesn't matter which day I use as long as all my days are happy and healthy.  And, that I am.  Stick it cancer!

Looking back I can remember being told that this was a life changing experience and that scared me... I didn't want my life to change.  Now I know that it isn't life changing as much as it is life altering.  Overall, life today is what it always was.  I still have a wonderful husband, two happy boys, a great job and so much more that I was afraid of losing.  But, I have gained relationships with extended family, found out what a strong networks of friends I have, appreciate hair and got a pool!

I won't say that there haven't been any negative consequences, because there have been and will continue to be, but I don't dwell there and they don't impact me day to day.

It all reminds me how lucky I am to be here today and for my many, many days to come.  Here is to many more cancerversaries... whatever day that might be!

Second Grade

Today was Tyler's first day as a second grader!!  He tells me that loves his teacher and is going to make more friends this year. 

Here he is getting ready to board the bus.  I was so proud... there was a little girl there on her way to kindergarten and she was upset.  Ty took her by the hand, sat next to her on the bus and made sure she got to her room.  He sure is a good kid.  

Before we left the house we snapped a few pictures of our big boy.

Daddy and his boys.

All was well until 1 hour and 22 minutes after school dismissal when I received a call from his after-school program and found out that Tyler didn't get off the bus with the other kids from his school.  What??  And, there were a couple of other kids dropped off at home instead of the after-care location.  Aaaahhhh!!  Can you say freak-out?  I tried to keep myself calm, but I was not successful despite the fact that I was fairly certain that he was still on a bus.

From my experience this morning I knew that there were two buses that picked up and went to the school so my assumption that there would be two buses that dropped off.  There is also a deadline of 8/1 to send in the alternate drop-off/pick-up form and if you missed the deadline you child would be picked up/dropped off at home until mid-September so that is probably why those kids were dropped off at home.  And, it was raining which hasn't happened in a while so I knew the roads were going to be a mess.  Plus it was the first day so the bus drivers were getting used to the route.

But still... what if that wasn't the situation?  What if he was lost and scared?  What if he had been dropped off at home and nobody was there?  Yes, I had myself in a bit of a frenzy.  It takes me about 30 minutes to get home on a good day and I've never felt so far away.  I called Dan so he could share in my stress (but he stayed calm, cool and collected, of course!) after calling a friend who rushed right over to our house in the rain to search for my baby.  We both knew that they wouldn't drop him off without an adult there to meet him, but she did it anyway and I'm so thankful.  After about 20 minutes of hell, I received a call telling me that Tyler had just been dropped off.  Phew!

When I walked in the door Dan assured me that Tyler was fine and had fallen asleep on the bus so he was completely clueless that anything out of the ordinary had happened.  I now understand why kids have cell phones.

Then I found out that he lost a tooth at school!!  How much can a mom be expected to handle in one day??

I sure hope tomorrow is less eventful!