Totally Speechless - can you believe it?

Ok first before I get to my topic noted above I just want to say - I'm not so good at this blogging thing. I LOVE reading everyone else's but just can't seem to make time to post on mine - guess i read too many others huh? Anyway, if anyone is out there reading this - I'll try to do better!

Ok - so I was speechless - YES - speechless!! Twice in the last two weeks someone has unknowingly opened their mouth and not just inserted their foot, but practically their entire LEG!

I feel a need to give you some background information first - Cole, my son, had cancer. He was three and had a brain tumor. It was surgically removed and he suffered some nerve damage during the surgery. He couldn't walk, sit up, etc. He had left side weakness similar to a stroke victim. His face was effected as well. For about 8 months after his surgery, we saw no movement on the left side of his face and his left eye doesn't close all the way. His left eye was also turned in but that was corrected after about 5 months or so. So when he sleeps now - his left eye still doesn't close all the way and when he smiles, sometimes his smile is crooked. He is also short for his age. His body didn't grow during radiation and chemo. He's growing now, but has some catching up to do. He's only in the 10th percentile for height. So he isn't like a foot tall or anything - just a couple of inches shorter than your average six year old. So keep all of this in mind as you read on.................

So first, I'm at the mall, looking for school clothes and Cole is sacked out in the stroller. While I'm waiting for a sales associate to finish ringing someone up so she can help me with some pants two young women walk in and see Cole snoozing. Now these women are probably 25 at least, maybe older. One says "OH, how sweet? Is he yours?" I reply "Yes" and smile - then she sings a little line from a well known Metallica song - "Sandman". In case you aren't familiar with the song, the line is "sleeps with one eye open.............." So, can you see where I'm going with this!??? In my head, I was thinking did she really just saw something SO rude? No, surely not, I'm just hearing Metallica over the store radio? NOPE - she really said it. Now, of course, she doesn't know anything at all about Cole, but why in the world would you make fun of someone like that.

And second - we decided to treat ourselves to a great meal Monday night and we headed to the Olive Garden for dinner. We were being seated and Cole was being VERY polite to our hostess. She asked if he wanted crayons and he said something like "Oh yes, please, thank you!" and she said something about how sweet and polite he was than asked how old he was. I said five, six in a few weeks. And she says "REALLY? He's tiny!!!!" Like he's a foot tall or something? Like she's shocked that he's out in public being so small! Now let me also say that this hostess was about 4'9" - no kidding. And in her 20's atleast - so she's reached her FULL growth potential, I'm guessing!

So two comments in two weeks that the speaker probably didn't think anything of AT ALL - but give me a break. Why would you even say anything like that? I'm sure I've made a comment that wasn't appropriate - but not to someone's face (or their mother's face) that is essentially making fun of them or laughing at them or insulting them!!

So PLEASE think about what you say BEFORE you say it - and teach your kids to do the same. The best way to do that is by being the example. That's what I try to do for Cole each and every day!

ok - enough of that! hopping off the soap box!
bored yet?
lisa

I got my scrap on this weekend!

WOO HOO! I got some scrapping done Friday night, which I plan on finishing up today! YEAH!

It was great to have a good five hours or so - just to get some work done. No interuptions from Cole (you know the kind - Mommy rewind it faster, Mommy I want something to drink, Mommy can I have a cookie). I seriously don't mind the interuptions - it's just sometimes Cole doesn't understand that I really need to get this title down first before I go refill his drink! :)

So the tree is finally down too - and all the decorations are gone and put away. It's really over. Cole walked into the living room, put on his pouty face and pointed at the empty spot where the tree had been. All I could do was say I know buddy - I'm sorry! He hates for the tree to come down. But we're now on the countdown to his birthday (35 days until he's 6). So he's ok now. Speaking of birthdays we've decided to have a Karate Birthday! Cole's karate school does a really fun party - we can't wait. Next weekend we have two Pump It Up parties to go to. One for triplets in his class and one for my nephew! We haven't decided if we can handle Pump It Up all day long or not - we'll see.

Tomorrow everything goes back to normal. Cole will have a whole week of school and I start Student Teaching at his school! I'm excited, nervous, etc. It's fourth grade - which I've never stepped foot in - at least not since I had my own year there. And there is always that awkward time where you have to learn all the kids names and figure out their schedule and all that. But I'm anxious to be back at the school - I love this school - and I'm anxious to finish this semester! I really want to graduate! I'm tired of being a student - I want to HAVE students instead!

Well, Cole is calling again (asking me to turn down my TV just a teeny bit) and I still haven't unloaded my scrap crap from Friday night's crop so I've got to get busy!

Have a great Monday!

Are you bored yet?
Lisa

Here we go................

Well, this is new for me. I've never blogged before and I'm not sure that it will even be interesting - but I'll give it a try. I tried to post this long, in depth, intro under my profile and it was too long so I'll just have a do-over right here.

This is me...........

I'm 35 and live in Alabama. It's really the only place I've called 'home'. I'm currently a student and will graduate in May. I'm going to be an Elementary Teacher when I grow up. I love kids and can't wait to make a difference in their lives. Speaking of kids, I have one of my own - well my husband and I do! His name is Cole. He's AMAZING! He's 5, almost 6 and just wonderful. The sweetest thing I've ever seen. He's in Kindergarten and his brain is such a sponge! He is very smart and interested in so much. The most important thing about him is he is a survivor - a cancer survivor. If you are interested in more of his story you can check out his webpage which is listed in my links. On January 31st of this year he will be cancer for for TWO YEARS! Amazing, huh? That someone so little could fight such a hard battle. He is a patient at St Jude Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) and it is the next best place to DisneyWorld. An amazing organization filled with people who have changed our lives in so many ways!

I mentioned a husband - he's a big deal in my life as well! Jason and I have been together for almost 10 years, 7 of those happily married. He just graduated from college and has his own business. He is a wonderful provider for our family and supports my every interest - well most of the time.

I have a slight obsession - Kenny Chesney!!! This is where the above mentioned 'most of the time' comes in. I don't look at it as an obsession, only because that makes me think of something I just have to do each and every day - like being alive, but maybe that's an addiction. Hmmmm OK so maybe I'm more obsessed that I have realized. Basically, this is how it is - I love his music and his voice (him being nice to look at is a bonus). I have always had a love for music - going back to my First Communion in second grade when I received a tape recorder! I love looking for the meaning in a song, the reasons behind it being written, and performed. I probably read more into songs than the artists themselves sometimes. This is when my Kenny-ness began: Cole had just been diagnosed with cancer and had been in the hospital undergoing tumor removal. There were a few times when I left the hospital to go home and shower, get clothes, toys, etc. During those lonely drives home I listened to Kenny's newest CD at the time. He sang a song about being 'Somewhere In The Sun'. He was stuck in the snow somewhere and there was just nothing worth doing. I was stuck in a hospital - with nothing 'worth' doing. No cancer-free things at least. That song gave me an image of where I would rather be - anywhere actually - with Cole and Jason. Somewhere in the sun...........what a thought. I could just see Cole running around on a beach in his swim trunks, playing in the sand, splashing in the water. Instead he was laying in a bed, hooked up to all kinds of medicine and could barely move the left side of his body. So 'Somewhere In The Sun' became my mantra - something I knew we would get to some day! We still aren't there, but only because Cole isn't crazy about the sand and splashing in the ocean! But he's still running around now and enjoying life. So while some may think I'm just 'in love' with Kenny because he's cute - they've got it all wrong. During such a sad and heartbreaking time in my life - his music, his words and they way he delivered them gave me something to look forward to, somethings to remember and best of all - an escape. I coudl easily think about something other than chemo and radiation if Kenny was singing to me.

Ok, so are you bored yet? I think this is enough for today! Please come back and check the blog again - I'm not sure you'll be interested, but maybe you will be!

Lisa