Brain Mutterings

I was awoken by Molly at 3.47am this morning.. it is becoming a pattern.. This morning was because her palm was itchy. She was not pacified by my saying it's good luck and she will come into a lot of money! A bandaid seemed to do the trick.
BUT it had woken Jasper up, so he ended up snuggled up in my bed.

As I looked at his little blonde head snuggled against me, and listened to his rhythmic breathing, I got to thinking..
Never a good thing to do at 4am!

This disease, this FA thing that has invaded our lives, it's nasty. It's vicious!
I picture all of the FA mums (and moms), and all the FA Adults - all in the same lottery. We all have a ticket, we just don't want our number to get called up.

It ain't any prize we want for our kids.

Life is fragile and fleeting at the best of times, but here I sit with my 11 1/2 year old, on the eve of his annual bone marrow biopsy, well, the fragile and fleeting part is almost too real.

I always tell people that Jasper is healthy, and there is nothing to worry about..
In reality, I worry. Constantly.
It might be a background thought, or it might be a focus for me.. It depends on the day and what is happening medically with him, but the worry and the thoughts are always there.

I could lose him any time. This disease rages inside, looking for a way to express itself. So far, we have been lucky. Decent blood counts, no changes in his marrow. Unfortunately, it seems it is only a matter of time before this changes.
The older he is does not mean the better it will be.

Bone Marrow Biopsy time always sends my head in to a spin. I know it will be ok (there is no alternative for me!), but I am still stuck with this dread in the pit of my gut. It doesn't go away until results come back in a few weeks time.

Just when you get comfortable and the headspace starts to clear, something else comes up to throw you for a loop. Someone passes away, someone is going into transplant, someone new is diagnosed and joins the FAmily.
While we are a special group, you don't want new people to join. You wouldn't wish this on anyone - not even your worst enemy.

Just remember, love those close to you. Love them with all you've got. It could all disappear in the blink of an eye.

Brooke

Bits and Bobs, plus Easter Part One

The other weekend, Jasper's favourite AFL (Australian Rules Football) team was playing MY team in the pre-season competition.

What else was there to do, but buy some tickets and head on down for a Sunday night bit of fun!

My parents are supporters of the West Coast Eagles, like me, while Jasper is a traitor and barracks for the Dockers.

Allowing Molly to make up her own mind (cough cough), she is an Eagle too ;) 

Here's Molly in her oversize gurnsey with her Poppie.

 The lad in his Docker gear with his Grandy

 Here we go!!!

As it was a Sunday night game, we decided to leave at 3/4 time, because the game was pretty much over (the Eagles lost :( so that was a deciding factor too), and it was way past Molly's bed time.

Last weekend they had the club windup for Jasper's teeball ball club. All siblings were welcome to join in the fun of waterslides.
Here is Molly with her little mate, Harry:

 Pretty fancy trophy this year!

 My boy and I:

The last day of term had the Kindy and Pre-Primary kids do the Easter Hat Parade. Molly was proud as punch with hers!

Then Thursday night saw the kids and I at my parents for a pre-Easter celebration.
The kids have a tradition of sleeping over on the Thursday, or Good Friday for an Easter egg hunt - they know the Easter Bunny can't hide the eggs very well at home because of the dogs, so he does a proper thing at their house early...

We drank some beautiful wine! (This bottle was a gift from Jasper's teeball coach for me.)

 (this bottle is from a beautiful school mum and client of mine)

 I made a chocolate decadent Easter cake (it was super delicious!

 Poppie tried to steal Molly's cake

 and when that failed, he went after Jasper's!

 Molly went to bed, and the boys read a story while the girls drank some more wine!

 The morning saw new dressing gowns and slippers left at the table, and some notes from the Easter Bunny for a treasure hunt... Molly got to go first.
There were hints and she had to figure out where to go first!

 Down to the pool for the first hint..

 Then to something shiny and black

 she got the egg - super excited! there was MONEY hanging in the plant too! $1 coins on some tape!

 the next clue saw us up the stairs again and looking for something that is now hers, used to be Jasper's and before that, belonged to her mummy... (it took all of 2 seconds for her to know it was the old trike that mum and dad still have). I got distracted and forgot to take a photo, but there was more money and another big egg!!

 Then it was Jasper's turn.. He had to first decide if he believed in the Easter Bunny or not,,, he said he absolutely did, so out the front we went with his first clue! His first egg was hanging in the lemon tree that arches the entrance to the "secret garden".

 Hanging in another tree was another egg!

 Then it was about pirates and bunnies, and what they dig for....

TREASURE!!!

 After a play at the park, it was swim time for madam:

 Then counting and re-counting the money!

 It has become a bit of a fierce competition with droughts. Jasper has never won against his Poppie, and it was a fierce competition! (we don't let them win because they are kids, it is about learning and thinking!)
Today, Jasper triumphed!!! It was awesome for him. He was pretty pleased with himself!

 Molly got frustrated waiting for her turn!

 Then it was on for Game 2!!

Molly isn't as strategic, so dad had to let a few easy moves go, but she is getting the hang of it, and did pretty ok!!

So, that is Good Friday for us. Now for some fish for dinner, and a chocolate free day tomorrow to get ready for Sunday!!!

Thanks for reading.
Happy Easter

Brooke