May 1 / Shhhhhh....

Shhhhhhh… don’t tell our Oncologist, but without doctor’s approval we snuck MJ home on Thursday.  We arrived in Anacortes around 11am.  What did Madelyn want to do?  First thing?  Gere-A-Deli.  That’s right:  Chicken Mango Penne – her favorite dish.  I made sure and got a jumbo size to-go as well for Seattle.  She even brought them a big boutique of flowers from our garden.  (Usually I try to keep the flower picking to a minimum.  But in this case, why?  We aren’t at home to enjoy them.  So I let them pick to their hearts content.  We brought about four boutique’s to the apartment with us).

She was so happy to be home.  Mental Meds – for all of us.  She slept at home, played in her yard, had dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, played in the play room, sat on our couch… normal things.  Felt so phenomenally normal.  We called it our “sneak home.”  Madelyn loved the intrigue.  When we were heading back to Seattle on Friday she asked me “Mama, when can we sneak home again?”

We saw the Harrington’s on Thursday afternoon.  We saw the Rutz’ and, best bud, Alaina and mama Amber on Friday morning.  On the way back to Seattle on Friday we stopped by Tulip Town where Grandma Terry was working and walked in the tulips with Grandma.

Needless to say, there are lots of photos coming later this week.

Today I spent time preparing her for tomorrow and the “Big” week ahead (she will be at the hospital for treatment everyday this week).  Madelyn always does better when situations are explained to her ahead of time and it does not come as a surprise.  I told her that she can choose between being “poked” everyday or keeping the needle in all week (like in the hospital).  Her decision was to be poked every day. 

Me:  “Really?  That’s what you want, baby?  How come?”

MJ:  “Because then I can play with the IPad more.”

Smart girl.

… and, so it will be.

I explained to her that we have an awful schedule tomorrow for the sleepy room.  9:40am Labs, 10:40am doctor’s visit and then… 2:40pm sedation for spinal tap.  Ugh.  Basically she will be without food until about 3:30pm.  Her response:

“It will be alright Mommy.  Maybe I won’t be hungry.”

Regardless of her attempts to reassure me that it will all be alright, this will be HARD.  I will, of course, not eat either.  Peter is in Anacortes until Monday night for work.  Mom and Dad are here to play with Phia tomorrow.  So it will be me and MJ.  I will not eat in front of her.  To compound the issue, I think she just happens to be going through a growth spurt right now.  She is eating two of everything.  Two oranges, two pieces of toast, two bowls of macaroni and cheese… unless it is corn and then it is double that.  Four bowls of corn in the morning.  Four bowls of corn at night.  Yes, seriously.

Madelyn and I had a henna party tonight preparing ourselves to be warrior princesses for the “Big Week” to come.  She has a monster tattoo of a dragon fly on her forehead and onto the top of her head.  She has tattoos on both sides of her hands.  As do I, including my chest and forehead.  We are in this battle together... Roarrrrrrrrrr…..