You know you are a cancer survivor....

when your idea of a "haircut" is having your husband shave the back of your neck...

Or better yet....When the PET Scan comes back ALL CLEAR!!!!!  I did say SURVIVOR....That was the news I got today.  Dr. Spell told me to go out and start living life again....thank you very much - I don't mind if I do!  Feels surreal...what was like life 6 months ago? oh yeah...different!!  It will take some time to adjust to this "new normal", but I'm up to the challenge!

In this whole celebration theme, my Goddaughter Hannah graduated from Pre-K on Friday...

We took the girls too see Shrek in NOLA on Saturday (thanks to some super friends who treated us to the tickets as a post-cancer celebration).  Although I couldn't take pictures inside the theater (the ushers even remind you not to photograph your children in the seats - what is this world coming too?!?), I did snap some powdered sugar faces at Cafe' du Monde after the show....yummmmy beignets - Avery's idea of course - her idea of a balanced meal is edamame, brownies, cookies and ice cream - luckily she has Shane's metabolism!

The girls started Cheer Camp today at Dutchtown High School....good morning excuses...

Avery: "My tummy hurts, I don't think I can go to Cheer Camp...I should probably just go to work with you instead..."

Morgan: "Mommy, I throw up when I'm nervous, and I think I'm going to throw up"...note: the ONLY time she has ever vomited was from a stomach virus - definitely NOT nerves

Seriously - where do they come up with this stuff?  My sister Jen is one of the Cheer Moderators at DHS, therefore she was at camp.  She called at 11am with the news that Avery was hysterical until Hannah showed up (luckily 10 minutes after us) and only calmed down when she changed Hannah to Avery's group - thank goodness one girl in the family is fearless!!

They had a fantastic time at Cheer Camp - and I'm sure I will go to sleep to "Attack, Attack, Attack, Purple, Silver and Black!" I found this a little while ago - it's Nervous Nelly's "cheer notes"...

go ahead and do a little cheer (the arm movements are noted at the top)!!

Beware - Radioactive Girl here...

I had a PET Scan today - the first of my quarterly scans over the next few years.  This is one I've been waiting on - to get the "you really don't have any more cancer" news.  This scan was different from my last two scans.  I got an IV this time and got injected with radioactive "stuff" twice during the scan - here's the kicker....I was warned to keep the girls away from me (ie - don't let them sit on my lap or next to me) for the day...I didn't realize how much I hug the girls and pull them onto my lap until today!!

and I don't want to alarm them and tell them Mommy went "Chernobyl" on them, so I just keep casually moving away...

Avery did ask me, "Did they tell you the cancer was all gone?"  I had to break the news that I don't get the results until Monday... she didn't understand that at all!

Mommy camp...

The girls took a break from camp this week to hang out with me...It took an hour for Morgan and Avery to agree on an outing yesterday...the verdict....BUGS!!  So by 11 we were in the car headed to the Insectarium...of course Shane had to throw a little wager into the mix - offering Morgan $2 if she ate a bug...

as soon as Morgan ate the chocolate covered cricket she dialed Daddy...of course I had to give her the $2 for the gift shop! (notice the stamp on her hand that reads "I ate a bug")

the butterfly garden is so beautiful...

then, a "Mommy stop" at the 2 story Anthropologie at Canal Place...love!

And what was the highlight of Avery's day?  Petting the puppy at the Pet Store in Lakeside Mall - for the bargain price of $2 - yep, you really have to pay $2 to pet the puppies - luckily a friend had tipped me off, so I had the $2 ready!

and you just never know who you will run into at the mall...At another "Mommy stop" - Restoration Hardware...we found my aunt, "NeeNee" to my girls....

and no stop in Metairie is complete without a visit to see Chuck at Ms. Angel's house.

poor Chuck...three little girls plus one dog equals dog in tutu!

hope you are having this week too! (I'm off for my first quarterly PET Scan - results next week)

Summer is here!!

For the last 7 weeks, we have been waiting...impatiently...for this...

sure, most kids might wait for the pool to be full, but not mine...the plaster was finished on Thursday and the water started to climb...with the help of two little girls who just couldn't wait...

the girls have been in the pool everyday since then, and yesterday we spent the day in the sun (sunscreen required)...

I'm filling the freezer with hot dogs and pizza, because little bellies get very hungry in the pool!!!

Hope you had a great Memorial Day too!

nervous nelly...

Before cancer, Morgan and I were neck and neck in the "worry" race...Along with the HELL, cancer gave me a new perspective, but poor Morgan didn't get the memo...She still worries about EVERYTHING!!!  I went to Lafayette on Thursday and Friday, and here is a sampling of her Thursday morning worries:

She walks into the bathroom and says, "I thought you said we were leaving early today...It's not early..When are you going to be ready?" (it was two hours earlier than the previous mornings)

In the car: "What is the speed limit?  It doesn't feel like you are going 45 - it feels like 70.  Are you sure you are going 45?"

"Are you sure you can drop us off at camp this early?" (Camp starts at 6:30am and I was dropping them off at 8am)

"Does Daddy know what to pack in our swim bags tomorrow?"

"Does Daddy know how the camp carpool line works?  Does he have the sign with our names on it?"

Morgan may drive me back to meds!  I'm sure there is a way that I could respond to her that might alleviate some of her anxiety - I just need to find out how.  How sick is it that I am thinking about visiting a child psychologist about Morgan's anxiety?   Quite honestly, I figure if there is ANYWAY to reverse her mindset (lessen if I can't reverse), then I need to start as early as possible...

Maybe I should frame this for Morgan's room :)

how I waste my time...

the internet...two sites specifically...pinterest and polyvore

I've blogged about these before...polyvore is where amateurs can pretend to be stylists, interior designers, fashionistas...I've been creating some fashion sets - hopefully to keep me motivated to stay on my "healthy eating plan"...once my goals are achieved - SHOPPING SPREE!!!  here's a peek...

Naturally I will need to hire a personal shopper to actually find these items - but it's fun to dream!

now Pinterest...this site lets you "pin" (bookmark) things from all over the web into categories.  I have all types of boards (categories) - Scrapbooking, My backyard, and Things that make me LAUGH (my favorite)

Unfortunately Pinterest doesn't let you cut and paste a category, so I can't show you one of mine, but you can check it out here

I'm gathering all of the "signs" for the end of my blog posts on a Pinterest Board 

So when my blog goes for days without updates - now you know where I am...why don't you join me?  addicts love company :)

The hangover...

I need very little persuading to drown my stresses in a gluttony of food, and yesterday's "spot" provided me the perfect excuse.  I have been following a healthy eating plan (can't say diet in front of the girls) for 2 weeks and I've lost 7 pounds. I was already breathing a little better and moving around a little easier. Its like every cell in my body was starting to release some of the fluid...and then, that damn "little spot"...

So I hit the Cheezits, Starbursts and some Easter chocolate and then topped it off with an extra dose of sleeping pill...Guess how I feel today? - ummm, Roadkill...
I slept until noon - thanks to that extra little pill...when I woke my back was as stiff as a board, and I think every cell has filled back up with fluid - good times!

But rather than wallow in more self-pity, I got back on the wagon foodwise and drowned myself with water today...At least I stopped the cycle...

I am feeling much better about the "little spot"...many of you shared my concern and also agreed that I should repeat the MRI periodically...Dr. Spell has the results, knows my concerns and agrees with retesting, so I feel like everything is under control.  According to the neurologist, sometimes people who experience migraines develop a spot on the brain - I'm just not any old migraine sufferer since that whole cancer debacle!  But modern medicine and a deluge of prayers have gotten me this far,  I trust neither will fail me now!!

 This week I realized that the two most important beauty products are under eye concealer and an eyebrow pencil. Since mother's day, I've been wigless - and its wonderful. Even better is that Morgan is getting more comfortable with the look. I think she only looked at me twice this week with the "you aren't going outside like that" face. Let me tell you, when your hair is 1/2 an inch - a big smile is not an accessory, its mandatory. Who doesn't look better with a smile, right?  So I'm polishing my smile, drinking my water and starting over on the diet...

We all deserve a second chance...

Hope you have a fantastic weekend filled with laughs!