Back at the RMHH

We're back at the Ronald McDonald House in Houston. They were serving dinner when we arrived, and Alan immediately started making the social rounds. During dinner, I chatted with some fellow cancer moms that we had gotten acquainted with last week. It was like a sisterhood, trading stories of getting the diagnosis, realizing that you aren't paranoid that something is indeed wrong, finding out that the cancer is back, juggling the needs of siblings and our special zebra children. We all live in some strange existence where starting chemotherapy or radiation therapy or hearing "the cancer is just in the brain" and "they're only going to take the hip" is good news.

Since this would be his last night out before going into the hospital, we decided to let him stay up late and party. When the dinner crowd started breaking up, we went up to a TV room where he could wander around while we all watched Madagascar. He was having fun looking out the windows onto the the Great Room, climbing on the furniture, tackling the big stuffed bear and dancing around. When the lemurs starting singing "I Want to Move It, Move It" he just started dancing like crazy.

He'll be on a clear liquid diet tomorrow, so we encouraged him to drink and snack until bedtime. He enjoyed his animal crackers then fell asleep quickly after splashing in the bath. Everything tonight was so bittersweet, seeing him so happy and active. This would be his last bath for a couple of months, and the last before this life-altering, hopefully life-saving surgery. Every time he hopped, danced or jumped we couldn't help but cry a little inside. He's a tough little man, and eventually he should regain much of his mobility and activity level, but we can't help but be sad for now.


He's a blur!


Happy boy!


Hi little fella!


Tackle the bear!


Mommy and Alan having fun