What I Want to Be When I Grow Up

The girls and I had an interesting conversation this morning.  They were talking about what they wanted to be when they grow up.  Big dreams- those girlies have big dreams!

Miss Lyric was very matter of fact with hers.  She knows exactly what she wants to be when she grows up: a cowgirl, a mama and a waitress.  She wasn't real specific if she wanted to do all of those at once or if they would be happening at different times in her life.  

Story Bell is planning to join the circus.  She actually said she would like to join now if she could.  She will be a trapeze artist or a balloon artist.  I can totally see the trapeze artist, that is right up her alley.

Cadence had to think a little about what she was going to be.  I thought she said she wanted to be a songwriter, but she quickly corrected me, "I gonna be a songwriter for Halloween.  When I get big I gonna be a snowman!"

Silly Silly Girls

The girls were playing with some lensless 3D glasses today.  They had some fun working the camera.

 

 She had to do a tongue shot.  At least she didn't have the peace sign up!

 They looked really big on Story Bell's little bald head!

 She showed me how they would make a great barette.

 She also showed me her serious look.

Walking Stick for Daddy

Story's numbers are still pretty low, so we told the girls we were going to go out hiking.  They went outside to search for walking sticks.  A few minutes later Cadence came in carrying this HUGE stick, "Daddy, I found you a walking stick."  

 He thanked her, but assured her that he already had a walking stick in the garage.  A few minute later she came back with a smaller one.

That kid is too cute and yes she did wear her hello kitty gown hiking!

Being Normal

There was a time when these two cuties coloring in the floor would have been an ordinary activity.  But lately even something this simple can make you stop and be thankful!  

 I was shocked they were willing to pose for me!

 I even had time to take two pictures.

 Back to business.

Bald IS Beautiful!

Story Bell decided to shave her head tonight.  She was shedding EVERYWHERE!  For a while now when she would pull up a handful of her hair a lot of it would come out, but a lot of it would still be there.  This afternoon we were out driving around and she said, "Look Mama!"  She pulled on a handful of her hair and it all came out!  I have to admit, I cried!  I don't know why I cried.  We have known this was going to happen since the beginning, but for some reason I lost it!

She was tired of having hair everywhere- on her clothes and in her food.  Tonight she wanted me to wash her hair until it all came out.  I tried, but it didn't work;-)

 We washed it twice and she still had hair.  

She was contemplating what we should do next. 

 She was feeling to see how much was left.

 This is what was in the drain of the sink.

 I finally convinced her the only way we could get it all out was to shave it with the clippers.  We talked about the clippers and how each guard cut it a different length.  We decided to start with one of the bigger guards.

 She tried to do it herself, but couldn't quite figure it out.

 She kept handing me the smaller guards saying, "Now use this one."

 I started in the back, because I thought it would be less traumatic.  Apparently, it was only going to be traumatic for me.  I was working on the back and working my way to the front, when she looked at me grabbing the front of her hair, "Mama, when are you gonna cut this part?"

 She really didn't like me going around the ears, so she was trying to help move them out of the way.

 The after pictures aren't too great , but I had to include them.

 This one is from my phone, kind of blurry, but too cute!

Lyric was having a pretty hard time with it!  The social worker warned me that it might happen.  When she looks at her sister now, she looks different.  Before it was easy to forget she was sick.

Lyric and I were laying in the bed talking.  We were both crying and talking about how Story looked different now and people were going to look at her differently.  Story came and climbed in bed with us.  

The girls started talking and Lyric said, "Story it's just that all your hair is gone now."

Story said in such a matter of fact way, "Lyric, it's okay.  Mama got me a ziplock baggie.  I kept some of it."

She is such a laid back kiddo!  It really didn't bother her that she was now bald.  I don't know if it's her age or personality, but she handled it amazing! 

Sweetest Kid in the World

This morning I vacuumed the living room.  Just a little while after I vacuumed I walked into the room and saw Cadence opening a package of peanut butter crackers on the couch.  I asked her to take them into the kitchen because I didn't want crumbs all over the floor.  She just kept eating her crackers.  I didn't make a big deal out of it thinking I would just vacuum again.

A little while later, I walked into the living room to find this:

 She got the vacuum out of the closet and attempted to vacuum up her crumbs.  Daddy had to help her get it going.

 She did not want attention or to have her picture taken!  She was simply cleaning up her mess!

Love that kid!

Day at the Clinic

Today was going to be a pretty uneventful day at clinic, so we decided to take the whole family.  There was an organization there called Flashes of Hope.  They gave myself and the girls makeovers and then photographed the whole family.  It was a lot of fun!

Lyric and Story colored the paper on the bed while waiting for the doctor.

Cadence colored in her coloring book.

Daddy read the girls a story when they were tired of coloring.

After we met with the doctor and had our pictures taken we watched Mickey Mouse while we waited for Nurse Dara to come and give Story her chemo and change her dressing.

Cadence liked having control of the remote and being able to hold it to her ear.

Miss Lyric worked up a thirst working the camera, so she had to have some water!

Nurse Dara came and gave Story her ARA C and changed her dressing.  She brought her magic fingers again today!  There were no tears when she took the dressing off.  We were out of the clinic before lunch.

Fairy Visit

 We received a visit from a fairy today.

 

 She just knocked on our door and came right in!

Cutest fairy I've ever seen!

Little Miss Bossy

Lyric had herself locked in the playroom today.  Cadence and Story wanted to go in, so they knocked on the door. 

Lyric yelled, "Who is it?" from the other side of the door. 

Story said, "Your loving sisters." 

Lyric opened the door and said, "Okay, this is the deal: You, (pointing at Story) make me some tea.  You, (pointing at Cadence) read me a book."

The three happily walked in the playroom.  I am assuming that Story made the tea and Cadence read the book.  I guess it is okay to be bossed around when you either don't know what's going on or don't mind it.

Playing Doctor

When the girls play doctor around here it is much more serious than it was before Story's diagnosis. We have real stethoscopes, gloves, and syringes.  Today I was ordering new dressing change kits for Story.  I wasn't sure which one to order, so I had to open the kit.  Since it was no longer sterile I gave it to the girls to play with.  They got their baby Becky and quickly got to work.  

Becky was all to happy to participate.

Lyric wore the gloves and did most of the work, but Story gave the directions.  At one point Story said, "These babies have leukemia, because all I know about is leukemia." 

The had lots of stuff out to work with!

Story Bell didn't need gloves, but she thought it was necessary to wear a mask.

Becky had herself a brand new set of tubies when they were done.

Cadence had to check out Becky's new tubies.

They got the tubies put in, then they flushed them for her, and she was ready to go.

Little Miss Hang Glider

Story Bell decided she was going to do some hang gliding off of the couch tonight.  She almost gave Daddy a heart attack!  He just had to turn his head.  The pictures aren't very good, but I decided to post them anyway because hang gliding off of the couch says a lot about Story's personality!  She is a daredevil and willing to try just about anything!

This is where she said, "Look Daddy, I'm going to hang glide off the couch."  (That is Lyric giving her rabbit ears in the background.  She wasn't hang gliding, just being a monkey!)

When she jumped from the back of the couch to the seat she said, "See mama, I went down one cliff now I have to go down another."

She was done hang gliding, now she was just resting with her hand glider on her back.

Someday, Miss Story Bell we will go hang gliding for real!

In the Know With Medical Terms

The girls were playing doctor with their horse tonight.  Story had the stethoscope listening to him.  

Lyric wanted a turn, so she put on their mittens and said, "I'm wearing gloves."

Story said, "But, Lyric those gloves aren't sterile."

I am pretty sure, before July 12th that child didn't know what the word sterile meant!

Doctor or Maybe a Nurse in the Making?

Today Story and I sat in the office floor and did her chemo.  Cadence asked to help, so she sat next to me and handed me the syringes when I needed them.  A little while later, I walked into the office and found this:

Cadence was standing there looking so proud.  I asked what she was doing.  She replied, "I thought you might need to flush Story's lines."

Amazingly, this is what we need when we flush Story's lines.  She's got the gloves, the alcohol and the saline--she does have about 12 extra syringes of saline, but who's counting?

Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough

Lately the girls have been watching reruns of Jon and Kate Plus Eight on Netflix.  The other day Kate made her kiddos edible peanut butter play dough.  The girls have been wanting to try it, so I bought the stuff and we made it today.  The recipe was pretty simple: equal parts-peanut butter, powdered milk, and hone plus enough flour to get a play dough consistency.

The girls had a pretty good time with it.  

Miss Lyric decided to add some crackers.

Story Bell made a spider web to save for Daddy.

Cadence made a flower.

Her ball of play dough never got smaller, but she was eating the whole time!

We finally realized she was stealing from Miss Lyric.

Story Bell didn't mind posing for the camera.

Shockingly, even Cadence struck a pose.

Lyric wanted to pose with her sandwich. (yes, that is peanut butter ALL over her face).