These are the days of our lives...

I'm boring. Really. My family (mom, dad, Becca and Angela) came to visit for UEA (long weekend) this weekend. I have nothing 'fun' to do. At all. My idea of a good time is shopping by myself, or going to the EQ social (um, yeah, we did that). I guess a good time involves good food (just ask my hips) so we are BBQing ribs and chicken tonight. But other then that life just goes on around here. Kids still have to eat and nap on time or we're in trouble- which severely cuts into 'play' time. So how are we living it up? They just got back from the park- while I stayed home with Megan who got put down for a nap because she was to beastly to have fun. We may hit Fallas Paradas (cheap mexican clothing store) for the rest of our fun afternoon. Of course Dad wants to go look for some obscure item at Walmart- which is his idea of a good time. Now we don't live close enough to walk anymore- which is a good thing since that means he won't try.

Anyway, people frequently ask how he's doing- so here's an update. He's doing great. Really, really great actually. This time last year we were told that the tumor (he has brain cancer if you didn't know) was growing and there was nothing more that they could do, that we'd have a few weeks up to a few months left. Honestly I was relieved. He was in such pain and was miserable, seemed like it'd be kinder to let go and let him die and have peace. But once again (well, I think this is the third or fourth time) he's surprised us all. Last Thanksgiving he could hardly walk, was in a wheelchair most of the time. He didn't make much sense when he talked and slept a lot. He was also grumpy. He couldn't sleep in a bed because his back hurt too much and when they came to see us they'd even bring the chair for him to sleep in.

Now he's not even using the walker. He's on almost no steriods, no pain pills (I think) and is awake most of the day. He's still struggling with words. It seems that if he just talks he's fine, but the harder he trys to think of a name for an object the more the word eludes him. His mood is terrific. He's not lost his sense of humor and there are times when humor-wise I can catch a glimpse of the 'old' Dad. Story: Hannah told me the other day when she was down for dinner they were having egg rolls. Dad was trying to convince Hannah that egg rolls were really made of cat. Hannah (going along with it) says, 'really? So do you like them?' Dad just looks at her deadpan and says, 'meow'. That is 'old dad'.

Of course there are lots of physical changes, but the mental changes are probably harder now. He's convinced that he's grown 4 new teeth and that those teeth have messed up his mouth. (He's always had an overbite, but apparently now it's bothering him). His best friend is a denstist. He's told him it's impossible, but Dad insists that these are new teeth and they need to be pulled. Of course the dentist refuses. But don't try and tell him that it didn't happen, he'll get very offended and upset.

Anyway, Dad is good. It'll be interesting to see what the future has in store for him. He's going for another MRI on Monday. I don't think that he's had one for a year now.

My Mom is amazing. She is the definition of unconditional love.