Thursday, October 30, 2008

Hi. Trick or treat was tonight, we had fun. Megan brought Jase up, he was dressed as a knight! Jed went with them trick or treating, he didn't dress up or get candy he just walked along. How many 11 yr old boys don't ask for candy?? Grace stopped by to check out the scene. Savannah and I worked on our political pumpkins last night and Jed and I did the others today. we have been busy with our creativeness! I am making slippers for Jed, I have 1 finished, it took me 5 days. Needless to say, I have had some issues with the slipper.
Jed is feeling ok today. When there is something he wants to do he can sort of push aside the crappy feeling but as soon as that's finished he is finished! His pain issue seems to be under control right now but he walks slow and sometimes needs help getting up...(so do I but i don't think that counts). So anyway he is ok, better than a few days ago and his methotrexate didn't seem to get to him as much this time. Good!
I am very glad the candy is out of my house. I know I ate just about a whole bag of "fun size" snickers all by myself, they were fun alright. I broke down and opened the bag of peanut butter cups this morning, great breakfast. I am grateful we had no peanut M & M's, I would definitely be sick right now. I just could not make myself "back away from the candy bags" I even had a pocket full of wrappers after I finished handing out candy...so sad. I am not the only one in this house that ate the candy though, Jed ate starbursts and Danny ate whatever was open. Yes it's good that it is all gone but now I have to go through withdrawal...candy detox is so hard. I guess I will have to concentrate on the other slipper, yippee.
I am really tired of all the campaign phone calls. No I do not want to go see Sarah Palin tomorrow...yuck... BUT Bill Clinton did call me..we're friends, we rapped about voting and stuff. I thought I was special until my neighbor said he called her too, and he called the other neighbor,oh well. Ok, yes it was just a recording, I knew that. I didn't try to talk back to it or anything.. really
My household is extremely into the presidential campaign stuff. Savannah sits with her map every evening trying to predict the electoral college votes and Jed watched Obama on TV last night and he watched Keith Olberman's and Rachel Maddow's shows afterward!! Thank goodness he has stopped the "I'm Joe the Plumber" announcements every 5 mins. Danny is even hooked on it all. I am so proud! Yes we are a tad obsessed. But just like trick or treat, it will all be over soon. I don't think it's any healthier than the candy either! Thank goodness we all have the same political feelings in this house or there might be a problem. Well I guess not, the people with the other opinions would just have to move!
Ok, gotta go. I have no clue what we are doing tomorrow but Saturday is the Hershey Toy Ride. We rode last year for the first time, I hope Jed is feeling up to going again.
Love Jed and Kristin check out the pics I posted under here

Neighbor's kid, my pumpkins!


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1 slipper, it has taken me 5 days to get this slipper right, Jed might get the other one next year!!!!


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Yup, I did this awesome pumpkin..yea me


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We have cool pumpkins!


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Our Pumpkins!


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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Hey, so what's new? Yesterday was a wash, not only the crappy weather but with us too. We did a lot of nothing! Jed woke up yesterday in pain, he was bad on and off throughout the day. Near 3pm it got worse so I called the clinic. They said to double his morphine every 2 hrs over night. It seemed to do the trick pretty quickly. He was asleep before 5pm. Ya know if people were listening in on our house we would probably horrify them, Danny was headed upstairs and I asked him to "make sure Jed is breathing" he said "yup, he's breathing", I said "poke him and make sure he is pink"! We are so matter of fact about that, We really don't mean it that way...sort of. Anyway Jed wandered down here at 8pm to watch the biggest loser, I watched it while I ate the Halloween candy we bought to hand out tomorrow!!! So sad. I turned around and Jed was standing there with his butt hanging out, I said "what are you doing?" He said " I'm Joe the Plumber"!!!! What a nut. We still have to carve our pumpkins. This weather is very sucky. I am not a fan of the cold and really dislike the grayness.
Jed had school Monday evening and they got a lot accomplished. I guess that's about it.
I shouldn't be complaining. I belong to a listserve for parents of relapsed ALL kids. I never post but I always read them. It is a big reality check for me. The kids on here are so incredibly sick it's unbelievable. A new family joined this morning and the mom wrote that her son had relapsed yesterday, but he was only originally diagnosed in September so it is an early relapse...not good. To top it all off this child had a stroke 2 months ago because of a reaction to a chemo drug....and he is only 2 1/2. Very frightening. Another kid now has major brain damage because with his very weak immune system he developed meningitis, he is 5 and lives in Australia. There are so many and they are so much sicker than Jed...I have to remind myself of that when he starts to feel bad and I worry. He is sooooo much better than all these other kids. And then there is always the "teacher factor". Sometimes he seems to get worse when it's getting close to school time! Yesterday I gave him the meds he needed but I kind of tried to ignore all the drama thinking that he would get better or forget about it. Of course that did not happen and then I felt bad because I was trying to act like nothing was wrong...poor Jed! Today is Wednesday, I wonder how he will feel when he wakes up he took all 20 of his methotrexate last night. We shall see!
I have to say as much as I am a news junkie and really into the election I am sooooo ready for it to be over! I wonder why PA does not have early voting??? Jed always goes to vote with me and if Savannah is home I'm sure she will go too....it's a very big deal.... GO VOTE!!!
I guess that's all for now, I have let Jed sleep in long enough, I felt bad for him this morning so I am slacking!
Love Jed and Kristin

Monday, October 27, 2008

Check out the pictures from the THON 5K, link is on the right!!!!
Nana said Jed was yelling at the runners "go faster my Pappaw already went by"!

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Hey it's Dr. Comito!!!!

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jed and pappaw

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Just sooo cute!!!

Acacia and Gamma Phi and Jed!!!!


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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Hey everyone. Jed is feeling pretty good, his newest thing is that his voice is scratchy and he likes to talk A LOT to hear it! It's been pretty uneventful around here. Saturday I spent the morning helping my lovely hairstylist friend, Alecia, curl hair for a bridal party..I was "the curler"! I left at 8:30 am and got home after 1:30 pm and Jed was still sleeping! So of course last night he stayed up pretty late. This morning Nana and Pappaw picked him up at 7:30...early for the night owl! They went to State College for the THON 5k. Pappaw runs it. Aunt Min was there too. After the run some Gamma Phi girls and Acacia guys took them all back to the frat house to carve pumpkins. Jed brought his home! He had a great time...as always, he loves his college friends.
Savannah, Mom, Tiersa and I went to a baby shower. It was for Alisha Hildebrand, well Morgan now. Anyway it was fun. This family is a huge part of our lives. They have been a constant source of love and support for many years. The oldest daughter in this family was my best friend many years ago. Savannah Renee is named after her. We lost her to this sucky disease when she was 20 and I was pregnant with Savannah. It's strange how she cannot be here physically but is so much a part of my everyday life. Savannah was born 3 1/2 hrs before Renee would have turned 21. So anyway, Renee gave us a wonderful gift, her family. We love them very much and are soo happy to help welcome the 1st grandchild into this crazy clan. Congrats to all of them, Alisha, Michelle, Andra, Cale, mom Peg and daddy Daryl, oh and Daddy to be Kevin!
So that was our weekend. Jed is now eating warmed up Domino's pizza, of course the pizza guy was here yesterday! I think it was a girl though...like it matters, they all know our house because we keep them in business. Wow I wonder why I can never lose that 20 lbs! Maybe the brownies and cookies that I like to eat after I eat the pizza don't help either! oh well.
Welp, I guess that's all. Thanks to all our PSU friends for entertaining Jed. Oh, and how about that game last night????!!!!!! oh yeah!
Love to you all.
Jed and Kristin

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Hey. Well it used to be that Tuesdays sucked because he had chemo and Wednesdays sucked because he felt horrible from the day before. Now only Wednesdays really suck (which is a good thing) because he takes his methotrexate Tuesday night before bed..20 pills! Yes 20! They are small but still, good god. Every Wednesday he feels really rotten. Today is Wednesday...he feels rotten.
We babysat Livi-Mac this morning. Jed is so in love with her! She is a blast but Jed barely made it an hour before he was sleeping on the couch..poor guy. He did have enough time to show her the "good" TV stations...cartoon network, Disney, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. She enjoyed Dora the explorer very much and when Jed sang along she wiggled and screamed so much I was worried she might pop! She feel asleep about 15 mins before her mom came home.
I did break down and rescind my rule of no heat on until Halloween, I was cold! I have it on very low but it makes Jed happy! Cold weather sucks. Jed is back in his bed asleep. He feels yucky. Uncle Adam gave us pumpkins but no carving tonight. Today is Wednesday and Wednesdays suck.
Love J & K

Jed introduced her to the magic of Nick Jr. cartoons!



Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/buckleysmithslatton/

She loves Dora, and now it begins!....

The amazing Flying Olivia!



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kids are weird, she looked like a seesaw!

What a pair!


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She wore him out! Total party girl

Jed watching the Biggest Loser, Yes I DID turn the heat on!



Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/buckleysmithslatton/

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Hi all. Not much new here. Jed had school Monday night. She will come Wed. and Thurs. also. He went to Grace's today to cook. They made mini quiches...not too bad! Grace called after they were only there a little bit and said while they were at the grocery store Jed got very quiet and slowed down. He was ok for a half hour or so when they started to cook but the smell of the chicken cooking made him sick. He went downstairs to the recliner to rest and Grace did all the smelly stuff. Jed came back up to mix the ingredients and get them ready to bake. He didn't eat all day but just a few minutes ago he asked for potatoes sliced and broiled. He loves them, the are like big french fry chips! He also made some toast, so hopefully he will get something in. When he doesn't feel well and doesn't eat he gets weak very quickly. He's hangin in his bed. I figured chasing Grace around the kitchen could be considered his physical activity for the day! Tomorrow morning we have to get up and go babysit Livi-Mac for a few hours. That's about all. I am very grateful that Jed's newest must have food is a potato!!!!!
Love Jed and Kristin

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Wow I waited almost a week! I guess by that you can tell not much is happening here! Jed had clinic on Tuesday and his counts are good. We don't have to go back for a month!!!!!!! Of course after that he has 8 hr infusions every Tuesday for 5 weeks but for now we have a month off! We made a plan with the Dr. as to how to handle the transition back to school. Getting him to go has been a problem. His Dr. said it is going to take him awhile to feel up to going and to have the strength and endurance to make it even a few hours. He has been knocked down so far he needs some time to recover. He doesn't feel so good when he gets up so mornings are out and he is anxious about not being caught up with everyone else. We decided to concentrate on getting a schedule set at home. So all week he has been getting up at 8am and the hope is he will go to bed earlier. He also has to do some kind of physical activity everyday. A couple of days this week he walked with Grace and I and the other days he did his Wii fit. One afternoon he spent at Grace's playing with Jase. One day we made sloppy Joe's, got chips and a Happy new house cake and took it to Dj's new house for them and last night Uncle Adam and Tiersa took Jed and DJ to the haunted hayride. I got to babysit Livi-mac!!!! But she crashed by 7pm! Oh well so much for the party! Jed and DJ liked the hayride but Jed was a little scared! He hung on to Uncle Adam! When he went to bed I told him to think of something nice so he wouldn't have bad dreams. He starts saying "baby lamas frolicking in a happy field" over and over! Weird little kid!
Dj is headed back over here today sometime to play Wii. Jed got his thank you notes finished from his birthday but I forgot to tell him where NOT to write on the back of the postcards! So now I have nowhere to put the addresses and I have to find envelopes to fit the postcards! Needless to say they will be even later going out!
I was very busy this week! I cleaned the kitchen top to bottom and we got rid of our diner booth in the kitchen...it was falling apart. I got a table and chairs from my parents basement that belonged to my dad's grandma! It's yellow.....very cool! The next day I emptied and cleaned the dinning room and moved some stuff around. I had so much junk shoved into drawers and cabinets! It's all gone now! This coming week I guess I will head upstairs. I want to paint the bathroom a different color.
Savannah's application has been received by American University...now we wait!
So that's the exciting week we have had!
What happened to the awesome weather?????? I do NOT like the cold...that means anything under 70. Oh well Love Jed and Kristin so do I paint the floor black or red?????

Sunday, October 12, 2008

So, hi all. The wedding was great. Jed did a great job and got Jase, the son of the bride and groom, to where he needed to be! We had a good time. I actually got to dance a little bit! (not that good but who cares) We left as soon as Jed got his cake! He was so obsessed with the cake I thought he was going to follow the people into the kitchen when they took it to cut it up! It was really good though! It was all very well done and beautiful. Jed, Dan and my parents looked terrific. Savannah went to homecoming, when she gives me pics I will put them up.
Today we almost finished the porch! We have a few trim pieces and a piece of rail to put up yet but it looks wonderful. so nice. I got some weeding done outback and put up a fence to keep the stupid dog out of my butterfly bushes. What a dork, he loves to run back and forth through them! Adam, Tiersa and Livi stopped by so I got to see my baby, what a chunk! She was chatting away!
Jed is feeling better. the modification in his pain meds seemed to have worked. He even went to wal-mart with Mommo today! I guess that's it. The weather has been awesome. I haven't been able to ride, too busy. Oh well, I'm sure once it gets cold I will have plenty of time! I guess it's not really all about me anyway......damn.
Gotta go, nothing to do just nothing else to say!!!!
Love Jed and Kristin

Jed in a suit and tie!! So grown up!


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Mommo, Hop, Jed and me!


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Friday, October 10, 2008

Hi, quickie update, Jed seems better this morning. His pain is under control right now....yipee! Let's keep it that way. Also, Savannah got her NCP stuff completed last night with little issue, again,,,yipee! Ok gotta go strip paint from the brick....... so much fun.
Love J & K

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Hey everyone. Well Jed is having some pain issues. The steroids and his other chemo drugs are really giving him a lot of bone pain. He can't sit for very long and then he has trouble getting up. This evening it really seemed to ratchet up a few notches. We were thinking of heading to the hospital because his oral meds are not touching this pain. We decided, with the Dr, to try adding a second fentenyl patch and to give him double the morphine dose to try to get on top of the pain instead of chasing it. There are no beds at the hospital anyway so he would have to get all his pain meds in the ER.... again....please no! I am waiting to see how this works, hopefully it will calm the pain down. He's pretty snowed right now!
Between this and dealing with all of Savannah's financial assistance papers I feel a little nutty (more than normal). Her application to American has been received and she sent one to Towson and Rutgers. There are a few more on her list too! I know she is a no brainer for Towson but the big hope is American (it's more than double the price), anyway there are so many aid papers and the student loan situation is a real mess. I am thinking that there might finally be an upside to me not working...my w2 was embarrassing and that is actually a good thing with all of this! The other day I was feeling pretty good about the fact that I have a kid as driven as she is, don't know how that happened, but if she gets into American and then we can't dig up the money I will feel so very bad. Ya know I wish I had known at the age of 17 and 18 that the decisions I was making would directly effect my child when she was that age. Never have I regretted skipping college more than I do now. A better paying job would have made a huge difference, I wish I had been smarter.
Anyway so we are working on all this stuff and then we find out that American has a NCP, that is a non-custodial parent information sheet that MUST be filled out. Of course that was a little bit of an issue but it is supposedly going to be done tonight. we shall see. Filling out the papers does not obligate you financially but they do use it to judge the student's "need". How stupid.
Whatever, cross your fingers, a yes to A.U. would be amazing! So that's it. I am making Jed his regular diet of sliced potatoes in the oven and a hot dog. The bun must not be broken and it should be toasted. Yes master!
gotta go Hey to Amy :)
love Jed and Kristin

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

http://www.flickr.com/photos/buckleysmithslatton/sets/72157607860113132/
Here is a link to some photos that were taken of Jed at camp. A professional studio donates their time and gives the parents the photos and release for prints free. So nice!
Love J & K
Hey. Just a short update. Jed's teacher came tonight. He was anxious about everything. He gets himself so worked up, acts extra sick and then he doesn't want her to come but when he doesn't have school often it just makes it all worse! Just builds up. So anyway, he had school tonight and after she left he was perky and talkative and acting crazy. His relief was evident! I told him that I have been very easy on him and that is going to stop, well at least taper off!!! I know, I know, I will be tougher!
So that's about it. This weekend is Megan's wedding. Jed is walking Jase (her son) down the aisle! This should be wild! Grace, as the mother of the bride, is all ready with the new dress Savannah and I helped her find. It's going to be a big event. I hope to get to stay for the reception this time!
So anyway. Hi Trish. Hi Liz.
Hey Christie.... you talk on a cell phone...not pee on them, get it together!
Love Jed and Kristin

Monday, October 6, 2008

OMG


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Are they just so cute or what?!!! Jed and his main squeeze Holly!

They all sang Happy Birthday to him at clinic!

Bye Bye Rotten wood!


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He is reading the directions!


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He has so many tools but doesn't use them much!!!

Workin' hard Dan!


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Danny and Hop


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Such a good team! Danny is SOOOO helpful!

I Love to scrape paint!


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Hop


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Bye Hop! You Do Good Work!!!!!!
Don't forget we have a little more work to do!

Hi ya'll. Jed is starting to feel better. Friday he and I headed to the grocery store. We made it about halfway through when he had to go home because he felt so bad. Saturday he felt a little better and Sunday he spent the day at his dad's. Today we finally made it back to the grocery store and all the way through! He is having some back pain and nausea but he finished the steroids Sunday morning and I can see a difference already.
We worked on our front porch this weekend. It was so rotten that when I hit it with a hammer the hammer stuck in the wood...yuck! We , Dan, Dad and I, ripped it all down and then we put it back up again! Well Dad did most of that part! We still have to put up the support posts and the railing and some trim but the framing and decking is finished...yea! It looks great and I will never have to paint it ever! I have lots of pictures of dad working and Danny watching...ok, helping! Today I started getting the paint off the brick out front. It seems that whenever the former owners painted any part of the porch they splattered paint all over the brick. That is just a ton of fun...stripping and scrubbing the brick. It will take me awhile to get it all off but it looks better already. So that's what we did all weekend. Busy busy! Jed would come out and sit in the sun for a little while and then go back to his room. He did manage to come out long enough on Saturday morning to explain to Dan how to make the support posts holding the roof while we worked. He knew how many nails Dan should put in and the exact spots to put them! He does like to direct!
That's all the news. My house is a wreck, full of tools and junk. Our dining room table seems to always be covered in stuff, drives me crazy. I need and organizer person to explain to me how to get it all straightened up and where to put stuff! Oh well.
Gotta go I am tired!
Love Jed and Kristin

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Hey. It's pretty quiet here. Jed is not feeling so great. I think it's the steroids. The other chemo drug he is taking is not that wonderful either. The steroids are only for 5 days, the other one is for a month I think. My hope is once the steroid is finished he will feel better. He is sleeping a lot and eating little.
We are starting to work on the front porch. Danny and I started the demo part today. So I have 1/2 a porch now!
I got an ipod!!!!! I got Danny, Savannah and Jed one for Christmas last year but I have never had one. Danny brought it home for me yesterday! I already have 160 songs on it, of course as soon as I put the ear buds in my ears someone starts yelling for me but hey I have one now! it's pink..cool.
So I guess that's all, like I said quiet here.
Ok, gotta go the VP debate is starting soon........ I will refrain from making any Sarah Palin comments.....oh well.
Love Jed and Kristin