Get Outta Town

It has been crazy busy around here once again. Brooklyn is still enjoying school and is actually mad that she doesn't get to go every day. She has only gone four times, but she loves it! Although last week, her teachers said that she got tired towards the end of the day and wanted to rest. It is hard for me to hear that because it makes me wonder if school is too much for her right now, or if she is just playing it up so that she gets to spend some special time reading books with our wonderful preschool director. She rarely sits down when she's at home playing with her brother and sisters, and she is only at school for 3 hours. But at the same time, I know it is still much different being in an environment that she hasn't been in before and being around more kids might be putting more pressure on her and tiring her out more than usual. Last Friday I worked in Kayla's class in the morning, which was great. It was so much fun to see her interacting with the other kids and to start to get to know her teacher and her new friends. My mom met me at school with Brooklyn about 10:45 and she and I went down to the infusion room to get her port accessed before her spinal tap at 1:00. It always stinks when she gets a Friday surgery day because she can't eat all morning. So basically she didn't eat since dinner the night before and couldn't even drink after 9:00am. I felt bad because I didn't know how she would handle not eating and I just had to leave her with my mom so I could work in Kayla's class! As usual, Brooklyn did amazingly well. She was in good spirits, as usual, as we went over to the surgery center and even though they were running behind schedule, she was great and didn't complain that she couldn't eat. We played with the heart monitor stickers and read books while we waited. After the surgery, we had some snacks and then went back over to the infusion room for chemo. She seemed to feel okay after her chemo and didn't ever get sick at home this last week. Braden and Kayla have been busy with school and homework and soccer, but really doing great with all of it. Kelsey is as funny as ever. She is starting to learn some more words but is still at great at screaming when she wants some attention. :) This weekend we got to go up to Tahoe for the wedding of our good friends Mason and Jen. My parents came with us to help watch the kids while we were at the wedding events, and it was such a great weekend. It was so much fun to just get out of town and have a mini-vacation. We really haven't been able to go to far out of town as a family since Brooklyn was diagnosed because we have had to be here for treatment so often and also because we don't want to be too far away from the hospital and our doctors in case she gets sick. The kids loved Tahoe, we went to the beach every day and built sand castles with my dad, and the weather was great. They painted at the house with my mom and dad and one day even got their faces painted. They always think it's fun to stay somewhere new. Last night there were fireworks over the lake and we got to watch them with the wonderful Hibbard family. It was beautiful & the kids loved it. Today on our way home we stopped at Apple Hill and the kids got to pick apples off the trees in an orchard. Of course, since it was the last thing we did, I think they all said it was their favorite part of the weekend. It is nice that they are so easily entertained. :) Brooklyn has school again tomorrow and then I am taking her straight to the infusion room. She didn't have her blood checked today since it was a holiday, so we will have to go in to have her blood counts read and then wait for the results and then she'll get chemo, so it will be a long one. I know it will be good though. I always look forward to our time alone when we just get to be together. She is such a special girl.