{SQT} Second Chemotherapy Cycle

1. Birthday Celebrations!

Family Fishing

Birthdays on Memory Lane

Happy Birthday, Thomas!

2. Thomas's Hair Fell Out

Read here: Light, Fancy Hair!

3. Must Reduce Television!

I'm making sporadic efforts as I can to reduce the massive amount of television the little kids have been watching since Thomas's diagnosis. It's always bad when they watch this much and it leads to so much laziness and poor attitude. (This reminds me that for some weeks, I've been drafting in my mind a blog post on Discipline Continues During Cancer--as numerous professionals on the team, such as the social worker and doctor, told us during the first week of diagnosis to maintain discipline and routine for the patient and the siblings "or they will become monsters.")

I have so much work to do that is extra and cancer-related and the only way to focus is to dump the children on TV . . . for hours daily. One day this week, I made a big effort to do it a better way. I put on Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott on Librivox and set out our saint pages to color so that I could do paperwork.

Of course, I make war on television right at the end of a chemo cycle when we're feeling good and in a routine again . . . right before the second chemo cycle, described as "more harsh," when I should anticipate humbling myself by using the television as babysitter a lot.

4. Miscellaneous Moments

Watching TV with sister

Daddy tucking Thomas in for the night

"I did this puzzle by myself, Mama!"

Thomas has been riding his car each cool morning before the wicked heat.

Wearing the Karem Fest tee-shirt gifted to him by the Karems!

Margaret (9) tucking Thomas in to bed for the night

Mama playing Candyland with Thomas and David

A lovely person sent us tea, chocolate wafers, and chocolate nibs, so we had an afternoon tea time while I read aloud "Summer of the Monkeys."

Tea time

5. Venus Fly Trap

Joseph (7) and I bought a Venus Fly Trap and a Pitcher plant. We had already read some articles, but plan to delve deep into YouTube to learn much. Creating the terrarium and keeping it alive through its cycle of life and winter dormancy may be our second grade homeschool science for the year. Stay tuned!

6. Third Holy Communion

We attended Mass as a family on Wednesday night, our first time in weeks. We felt more comfortable attempting that because the Mass has many fewer attendees and, most importantly, few families, so there aren't 50+ little kids playing and touching each other afterward. We were gambling that Thomas's immune system should be up by then and, praise God, our guess was prudent, as we learned the next day that his ANC was back up to 1400. Thomas was glad to receive his "third holy communion."

7. Chemotherapy Round No. 2

Thomas began his second cycle of chemotherapy: click here.


For more 7 Quick Takes Friday, check out This Ain't the Lyceum.