violetismycolor

cancer is no fun...

We got the bad news yesterday that my dad's psa levels indicate that the chemo doesn't seem to be working. So...we are going in for full scans in a couple of weeks and then a change of chemo tactics. I am worried that he will start feeling the pain of having cancer in his bone, which he so far has not, and that the new chemo will not be as gentle on his system as the last chemicals were.

I am SO not happy about this...

Ross...

My baby, Ross, turned 20 yesterday. OMG...how is it possible that I am now the mother of three twenty-somethings?

Ross came home for the weekend and got two dinners and two lunches out, an ice cream cake, and lots of presents for his trouble. Not too bad.

I joked with Ross that the day he was born, we had to be at the hospital by 6 am, as I was having a scheduled c-section. He made me get up early then and many days after that. But I really didn't mind. Ross was the easiest of my babies. He could spend hours just playing with his toes. He was so content. He was the one, though, who always had nightmares, growing up...he was forever climbing into bed with us, so we finally trained him to bring a pillow and blanket, drag it down the hall to our room, and climb onto our bedroom couch and fall back to sleep.

What a wonderful kid he was, and is.

Corvallis was snowy when I went to pick him up and it was snowy when I brought him back, though Portland didn't get any snow during that time. We are having our snow now. Well, last night and probably tonight. And tomorrow is my dad's chemo, so snow...your timing is just bad, you know?

BTW, Bonnie called to say that she had gotten an interview for the JET program. She so wants to go teach English in Japan...I think it is the ONLY thing she wants right now. So my fingers are crossed for her on this one. Her interview will be in New York City in a couple of weeks. She has to get herself there, and spend the night, too...at her own expense. But she 's okay with that. I hope she sails through the interview and gets to live her dream.

rats...

Beginning February 7, we are entering the Year of the Rat. Now, I was born in a Monkey year, but Adam is a Rat.

Here's what one source says about his people, the Rat people:

In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.

Cunning and thrifty, Rats have a knack with money and are apt to save for rainy days. When capable, the Rat is a great money saver, and in strapped times he knows how to make something out of nothing or how to make things advantageous for himself.

Generally friendly and sociable, the Rat is one of the extroverts of the 12 Animal signs. They have a special gift for easing the minds of others. It is not surprising that Rats have a lot of friends. To the people they love, Rats can be amazingly charitable, popular and supportive. Although Rats like to be in the driver's seat, they do need partners who can keep up with their active lifestyles. Rat people are romantic, and are always happier to have someone to share with.

Sounds like my Adam.

should I be worried?

This is a question you really don't want to hear from one of your kids.

And yet...

That is exactly the question that Ross IM'd me this week. (Regarding his wisdom teeth being extracted a couple of weeks ago): My cheek has this hard bump on it and is still sort of swelling. Should I be worried about this?

Answer: YES.

Then, more calmly: I will call the Oral Surgeon and get you an appointment for Friday (when Ross is coming home for his Birthday Weekend).

Boys + common sense = not very often

hmm....

yikes...

My office is a huge mess, and though I should be cleaning and organizing, I am busy looking at resorts in Fiji. John and I are having our 25th wedding anniversary and want to go on a second honeymoon to Fiji. We went to Tahiti on our first one, and this sounds just a bit different. Huzzah for wasting time dreaming!

My brother, Brian, is turning 40 today and had a very nice party last night to celebrate. He got some gag gifts (funny fuzzy fake hair to cover his baldspots and weird OSU santa hats and such) and he was a wonderful sport about it. I would not have been. I just hate that kind of thing, so I tend to insist on going somewhere far away where no one knows me or knows it is my birthday...hence spending 40 in Charleston, and 50 in Scotland. When I am 60, I might have to travel to the moon to get further away.

the visit...

We had our nephew, Alex, here with his fiance this weekend.  It was great to put a face and personality to her name.  She and Alex seem to be pretty well matched.  They seem happy together and in sync with each other, so that was nice to see. 

We had several meals together.  Grandma Jean got to check the couple out and there was approval all around.  Yay for family cohesiveness.

Portland was gray and rainy for their whole visit but then got sunny today, now that they're gone.  Not trying to look too alluring, I guess. 

meanest mom in the world...

I thought this was a very funny article:

DES MOINES, Iowa (Jan. 9) - Jane Hambleton has dubbed herself the "meanest mom on the planet."

After finding alcohol in her son's car, she decided to sell the car and share her 19-year-old's misdeed with everyone - by placing an ad in the local newspaper.

The ad reads: "OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3,700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet."

Hambleton has heard from people besides interested buyers since recently placing the ad in The Des Moines Register.

The 48-year-old from Fort Dodge says she has fielded more than 70 telephone calls from emergency room technicians, nurses, school counselors and even a Georgia man who wanted to congratulate her.

"The ad cost a fortune, but you know what? I'm telling people what happened here," Hambleton says. "I'm not just gonna put the car for resale when there's nothing wrong with it, except the driver made a dumb decision.

"It's overwhelming the number of calls I've gotten from people saying 'Thank you, it's nice to see a responsible parent.' So far there are no calls from anyone saying, 'You're really strict. You're real overboard, lady."'

The only critic is her son, who Hambleton says is "very, very unhappy" with the ad and claims the alcohol was left by a passenger.

Hambleton believes her son but has decided mercy isn't the best policy in this case. She says she set two rules when she bought the car at Thanksgiving: No booze, and always keep it locked.

The car has been sold, but Hambleton says she will continue the ad for another week - just for the feedback.

driving and other things...

Just loved finding this photo of a Beijing fountain.  How awesome is this?  Also, I WANT a pair of those 2008 glasses, they are darling!  Her hat is cute, too...hey, girlie...give those to me, would'ja?

Ross went back to school yesterday and I miss him already.  He is such a lot of fun to have around.  He and Bonnie spent the last 4 days 'hanging out' together on the family room sofas, after having their wisdom teeth out.  They really enjoyed recuperating together. 

Bonnie finally got out of the house today. She took the car to go to Borders to read manga and use up her gift cards.  I'm so glad she's feeling so much better.

Tomorrow is my dad's chemo again, so another long day is in the offing.  He's doing so well, though, and that makes me so happy.

mythology...

Juno was the wife of Zeus, and is the name of the title character of the movie we saw tonight.  Juno.  The critics have been raving about this film and so, we went to see it.  The theatre was packed and the audience loved this comic romp about a pregnant 16 year-old.  It might not sound like a funny premise to you parents out there, but the subject was handled with such wit and grace that I think this is a must-see film.

happy new year, but lose the teeth...

We had a great progressive-dinner-new-year's-eve party.  I actually made it till midnight, so maybe I'm not so old, after all.

Bonnie and Ross had to be at the Oral Surgeon's this morning at 7:30 for their wisdom teeth extraction.  Can you say 'Ouch'?  Bonnie is doing better than Ross, who is having trouble keeping his food down.  I blame the anesthetic.  But the surgeries went off without a hitch...that's the good news.  The bad news...my blender broke just as I was trying to make them milkshakes, so I used my hand beater instead.

I got Adam to the airport in time for his flight, but just barely.  The traffic was awful for 3 in the afternoon.  But he is safely back in San Diego.  Yay.  His girlfriend, Priya, was picking him up from the airport there.

Oh yeah, and my cold just doesn't seem to want to die.  Yuck.  And I need to be better by Tuesday cuz it's my dad's chemo day, again.

Got to get back downstairs to the kids...