i don't have cancer

My youngest son, D. and I left the house at 1:30 this afternoon. He rode in the stroller and I pushed him.

We were bound for the library, but as he announced that he was taking a nap, I took the long way and walked for an hour along the canal.

We chose movies and books at the library and then went for pizza slices. I read to him (from the books he'd brought in his backpack) while we ate.

We then moved on to our local fair trade coffee shop for iced green tea with mint (me) and chocolate milk (him). We read the library books on the patio.

Then it was time to make stops for dog treats (for the dog) and a new toothbrush (for D.).

When our errands were done, we went to the park where I chased him around for a while and then chatted with a couple of other moms I know, while he played.

Then we went home for dinner. We had been out for four and a half hours.

After dinner I washed D.'s hair (despite his howls of protest) and then sat with him as he played in the bath. Finally, I dried him off, got him ready for bed, read him two stories and kissed him goodnight.

Does this sound like a day in the life of a cancer patient?

Not to me, it doesn't.




The pics were taken on Thursday evening, when D. opened his birthday present from my mom (it was her first chance to give it to him), a jean jacket and matching jeans.

No child has ever been more thrilled at a gift of clothing. The pictures were taken at his insistence. He calls this his "gangsta" pose.

He has clearly been spending too much time with the teenagers who hang around his home day care (thank goodness they are all really great kids). His first words Friday morning were, " I want to wear my jacket and jeans to show J. and J.," (his caregiver's sons).

When we pointed out that it was going to be way too hot out for the jacket and jeans, he countered with, "But I want to look cool."

He wore both pieces that day and has worn them every day since.