Carin' for Karen

I am just trying to put the word out there....

Shortly after I was diagnosed, having a newborn baby and the stress of fighting cancer, I was being hard on myself. A few of my neighbors decided to hire their cleaning lady, Karen, to come and clean my home.

At my door I found one of the nicest people I had met in a long time. Karen not only cleaned my house that day, but continued to show up week after week, chemo after chemo, and clean. She wouldn't allow me to pay her. She told me if I payed her she would stop coming. I was so grateful for her. She was an answer to my prayers.

About 1 year later, Karen called me on the phone and told me she had Lymphoma. I was devastated to hear the news. I told her, of course, that it was contagious and she contracted it from me.

So far, chemo hasn't been working for Karen. I am not able to do much for her, so I am using this and my readers as a plea for help on behalf of Karen.She is having a 5K run/walk on November 28. ALL of the donations are going to her to help with the costs.Puh-lease! Help Karen. Even if you can't do the 5K you can click here. It will take you to her blogspot and you can donate through paypal. I will also post a paypal button on this website to the right and any donation would be kind. I may not be able to clean her home for her, but I certainly can rouse up some blog talk.

Halloween??

I know, it is 2 weeks after the date and I am just now getting to this post. In all honesty, I actually wrote this a weeks and a half ago....I just forgot to post it.


How is it that everyone LOVES Halloween. Am I really not a fun mom because I am not thrilled with it. I do love seeing my kids dressed up and I think my favorite part is painting there faces (see pictures below) but I really don't love the holiday like most people.

I don't like the thought of my kids getting candy that usually lasts us until the next major candied holiday (Valentine's Day) and then I have to regulate who gets what and listen to them fight over it.

I have always been the mom that makes all the kids dump their sugar in a communal bowl and they all share it. I regulate how much they eat each day. But, sometimes, a part of me wants them to just have at it just to get the darn stuff out and over with. Let them get belly aches and rotten teeth. How bad can it be....really?

That said, I will share my kids awesome photos. The only one I didn't get was Chay. I turned her into a bloody hippie. I dare say, she was one of my favorite ones.

Pooh Bear Ethan (you can't see the cowboy boots that makes up this ensemble).

Sith Lord Josh

Ballerina Drue

Shadow Ninja D'monte

Trailer Trash Husband

(He recently underwent some weightloss. The handlebar mustache is due to the fact that I just plain hate it and he is doing it to annoy me.....oh, I can hold out, I can....)

Lori's, Vickie's, and Val's

These are the names I am giving my drugs.

Lori = Lortab

Vickie = Vicodin

Val = Valium

I had my post-op visits this past week. I have been taking the first 2 when I feel pain (shivering is the WORST).

I meet with Dr. Klomp (my reconstruction genius). He asked if I was on Valium. Huh? The first thing that pops into my head is The Freshmen by the The Verve Pipe, "His girl took a week's worth of Valium and slept..." (seriously, whatever happened to those guys)?

Isn't Valium for people who are overly excited?

He calmed me by saying it is only a muscle relaxer and he was only going to give me the lowest dose possible. "In fact," he said, "You can even take 2 if you need."

Hmmmm. So I came home, after a painful day of driving and no pain killers and took 2 Valium (the "lowest" dose possible). 30 minutes later, I was high as a kite. I even whomped my head on my boy's bunkbed and started giggling after I fell to the ground because I didn't really care.

Last night, as I was in pain again from shivering at my nephew's football game, I came home and Josh readily had 2 Valium for me. I replaced the one back to the bottle and told him I wasn't going to go there again....one would be plenty.

"Awwww," he whined, "but you were so fun with 2."

And there you have it. A drugged mom and housewife with no chest and my husband is persuading me to take more drugs.

Eye on the prize. Eye on the prize.