I spent a very entertaining evening at the Lion's Manor tonight.
The first twang of Caleb's fiddle whirled me back to a 19th century good ol' fashioned country fair. I could almost feet the straw bale under my butt and the straw hat on my head! For an hour and a half, three generations of the Whiteside family plied their varried talents to instruments that danced gleefully at their fingertips. I was so impressed with everyone's obvious love of what they do, from 5 year-old Hannah's 'princess' voice to Grandpa's silver tongue! How they all charmed their audience.
Yet again, generosity from all corners of our world has blown the boundaries of belief.
Thanks to everyone who has rallied behind us, we are set to come through this with very little set-back. Every effort has been sincerely felt and appreciated and we look forward to the very close day when we can turn our efforts outward. Here's to an entirely NEW year!!!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Super Spider Baby
It's been what? ...three days? He's already figured out how to lower himself gently from standing. Of course, that doesn't mean he doesn't still occasionally pitch himself backward in glee. I think we've got a livewire. He also loves to rock the crib like his own personal boat. We're continuing to work on our "mamamas", "dadadas", bubububs", "uhpfs" and he's recently added clicking to his vocabulary, which fits in just perfectly with the singling lady's songs!
This round is going very smoothly so far. Vital door notes in place right off the hop: "Please no garbage pick up at 3 a.m." and it's smooth sailin'! Kaleb is handling the new chemo in his typical superhero fashion. A simple request to not have a student nurse and the door isn't opening 30 more times a day - far less disruptive when trying to put Mr. Crankypants down.
This round is going very smoothly so far. Vital door notes in place right off the hop: "Please no garbage pick up at 3 a.m." and it's smooth sailin'! Kaleb is handling the new chemo in his typical superhero fashion. A simple request to not have a student nurse and the door isn't opening 30 more times a day - far less disruptive when trying to put Mr. Crankypants down.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Recent Escapades
Damn those are cute toes!!!
Downward Facing Dog... or has he just been watching the dogs a little too closely?
Airplane is such a fun ride!!!
And he's Off N' ...Shuffling..?
Downward Facing Dog... or has he just been watching the dogs a little too closely?
Airplane is such a fun ride!!!
And he's Off N' ...Shuffling..?
We're In.
Back at it today. Bit of a bungle getting us admitted that had the little man and I floating for more than an hour, but we survived and are all snuggled in.
Kaleb is not exaclty comfortable with the sudden restriction. He's been mapping out the floor plan of our house for the last week and is now behind bars. He is, however, getting very good at shuffling laps around the perimeter of the crib, fishing along the bars and gnawing on the top rail. We've already had to Kaleb-proof anything within (his) reach outside the crib. Boredom makes him latch on to the smallest opportunity for entertainment like a leach. He's fast, direct and very sure whatever it is belongs in his hands, and subsequently, his mouth.
There has got to be something in the air, lately. On three major fronts we've had unprecendented difficulty with big so-called professional forces on putting into effect very small and every-day things. So much nonsense is causing some serious stress. Why must one be a complete a$$hole to get what should have been done in the first place, done?! And I mean, we have tried to be pleasant with all three facets for weeks.
I'm sure I can't name names without some serious repercussions, and I know what dealing with the government is like first-hand (used to work in my own branch) but it is UNREAL when a time frame of 2 weeks is given for an every-day proccess that is an agent's entire job description, and over 3 months passes with numerous phone calls to said agent and supervisors and STILL there is no result.
Never mind the monster coporation that sold us a defective brand new product and failed after numerous communications over the span of a month to remedy the issue, to the point that we had to get the parts and repair the unit ourselves. Again, we had even spoken to some corporate big-wig. ..???!
And then there's the very alien world we find ourselves submersed in on Kaleb's behalf. We are grateful for the results they are rendering with their efforts. The ways in which they come to the final answer do often leave our heads spinning. Protocols and individual tendencies of every person working on his behalf are extremely trying to our tiny lay-person brains and psyches. 99% of the staff really is spectacular, but it is truly amazing how one rude nasty apple can colour your entire world there a whole new ugly. There's absolutely NO reason or room for a professional to yell at or bully anyone on this floor (colleagues or caregivers). This entire floor's heartbeat is children in very shattering struggles and their very fragile caregivers. There also seems to be no room for value of good ol' fashion sleep to heal a body. There is disruption to Kaleb's sleep cycle that seems (from our ignorant perspective) completely avoidable, if only someone would ask us his routine before mapping out a treatment and try to incorporate things a little smoother... we could double-hit this thing from both fronts. And we're not talking a couple of hours missed, he literally misses out on half a day and half a night. That just has to be working against him. Thank goodness chemo is only 6 days this round.
Sure am thankful for the opportunity to vent. Sometimes just getting it all out helps heaps.
Kaleb is not exaclty comfortable with the sudden restriction. He's been mapping out the floor plan of our house for the last week and is now behind bars. He is, however, getting very good at shuffling laps around the perimeter of the crib, fishing along the bars and gnawing on the top rail. We've already had to Kaleb-proof anything within (his) reach outside the crib. Boredom makes him latch on to the smallest opportunity for entertainment like a leach. He's fast, direct and very sure whatever it is belongs in his hands, and subsequently, his mouth.
There has got to be something in the air, lately. On three major fronts we've had unprecendented difficulty with big so-called professional forces on putting into effect very small and every-day things. So much nonsense is causing some serious stress. Why must one be a complete a$$hole to get what should have been done in the first place, done?! And I mean, we have tried to be pleasant with all three facets for weeks.
I'm sure I can't name names without some serious repercussions, and I know what dealing with the government is like first-hand (used to work in my own branch) but it is UNREAL when a time frame of 2 weeks is given for an every-day proccess that is an agent's entire job description, and over 3 months passes with numerous phone calls to said agent and supervisors and STILL there is no result.
Never mind the monster coporation that sold us a defective brand new product and failed after numerous communications over the span of a month to remedy the issue, to the point that we had to get the parts and repair the unit ourselves. Again, we had even spoken to some corporate big-wig. ..???!
And then there's the very alien world we find ourselves submersed in on Kaleb's behalf. We are grateful for the results they are rendering with their efforts. The ways in which they come to the final answer do often leave our heads spinning. Protocols and individual tendencies of every person working on his behalf are extremely trying to our tiny lay-person brains and psyches. 99% of the staff really is spectacular, but it is truly amazing how one rude nasty apple can colour your entire world there a whole new ugly. There's absolutely NO reason or room for a professional to yell at or bully anyone on this floor (colleagues or caregivers). This entire floor's heartbeat is children in very shattering struggles and their very fragile caregivers. There also seems to be no room for value of good ol' fashion sleep to heal a body. There is disruption to Kaleb's sleep cycle that seems (from our ignorant perspective) completely avoidable, if only someone would ask us his routine before mapping out a treatment and try to incorporate things a little smoother... we could double-hit this thing from both fronts. And we're not talking a couple of hours missed, he literally misses out on half a day and half a night. That just has to be working against him. Thank goodness chemo is only 6 days this round.
Sure am thankful for the opportunity to vent. Sometimes just getting it all out helps heaps.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Have you seen my PANTS?!
It's a little blurry, but certainly provides a clear picture of Kaleb's latest game. He's SO proud when discovered in this position, having wrestled the heck out of those bothersom pants and pulled himself up to call us in. 
His little farm is one of his favourite toys!
It's Done!
I know that's what my mastermind sister-in-law, Steph is finally saying today. I can just picutre her propped up on the sofa, with her feet elevated and a cold cloth on her head while her two little ones buzz around her... Except I know the reality to be exactly the opposite. That woman has already motored on to her next project. You're just insane, girl! And we're beyond lucky to be part of your circle.
The Teulon Social was a raging success. We are so grateful to everyone who hustled to pull it off, everyone who donated their time and skills (such as the sound crew and bartenders who volunteered their services, not to mention all the people doing everything from filling plates of munchies to ticket sales to you-name-it), and certainly we're thankful to everyone who attended! There were over 40 prizes donated by very generous friends, family and strangers-come-friends. Really, it's all impossible to wrap our heads around!
It's just amazing how something like this illuminates who really is by your side... People I never would have guessed, people who do more than I could ever keep track of, and people I didn't even know knew anything of us. The word of an ill child really does spread further than I could have ever comprehended. I know I will be working hard to effect a balance for years to come.
On a fun little side-note, my grandmother sent my mother and I a spa-package!! It was spectacular to escape reality for a few hours, not to mention being buffed and pummelled into oblivion!
We've been fortunate to have a full 14 days off between treatments this time. What a DIFFERENCE it makes! We've finally been able to completely let go of our tension and truly enjoy our time together, even to the point of enjoying some time apart - lol! I continue to take solace in simple normalcy like grocery shoppping and cleaning the fridge out. Funny how such prior nuisances can hammer one more hefty peg into the constantly billowing parachute that is my inner turmoil. I have this fervent urge to nail down every square inch of that damned slippery fabric.
The Teulon Social was a raging success. We are so grateful to everyone who hustled to pull it off, everyone who donated their time and skills (such as the sound crew and bartenders who volunteered their services, not to mention all the people doing everything from filling plates of munchies to ticket sales to you-name-it), and certainly we're thankful to everyone who attended! There were over 40 prizes donated by very generous friends, family and strangers-come-friends. Really, it's all impossible to wrap our heads around!
It's just amazing how something like this illuminates who really is by your side... People I never would have guessed, people who do more than I could ever keep track of, and people I didn't even know knew anything of us. The word of an ill child really does spread further than I could have ever comprehended. I know I will be working hard to effect a balance for years to come.
On a fun little side-note, my grandmother sent my mother and I a spa-package!! It was spectacular to escape reality for a few hours, not to mention being buffed and pummelled into oblivion!
We've been fortunate to have a full 14 days off between treatments this time. What a DIFFERENCE it makes! We've finally been able to completely let go of our tension and truly enjoy our time together, even to the point of enjoying some time apart - lol! I continue to take solace in simple normalcy like grocery shoppping and cleaning the fridge out. Funny how such prior nuisances can hammer one more hefty peg into the constantly billowing parachute that is my inner turmoil. I have this fervent urge to nail down every square inch of that damned slippery fabric.
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