My scare!!!

I had put together a post for yesterday about Flat Stanley and Trevors experience with it but I didn't get as far as posting it. I came home from work yesterday to find out Rory had spoken with my doctor. Last Friday I went for an ultrasound because I had been having some stomach pain, I didn't hear back on Tuesday or Wednesday so I thought all was good. Not! They found some cysts, now I know this is a very common experience for women but because of my family history (a lot of cancer, my Mom is a breast cancer survivor, but not all members in my family have been so lucky) I was a total mess last night.

I should back track a little, you see for the last month and a half for unknown reasons I have had this nagging feeling that something just isn't right, so when I heard the doctor wanted to see me about these results, well let's just say I visualized every possible scenario.

As it turns out I have a type of cyst that is only cancerous 2% of the time so I am not as worried now as I was yesterday. The doctor still wants me to go for an MRI to ensure everything is ok but for now I am going to squash the nagging feeling and just move forward with life.

I did think that Rory was going to shoot the doctor today though. For the last year he and my Mom have been nagging at me to get a mammogram, I have just nodded and said I would. So today when I brought it up with my doctor and he told me he didn't think I needed one, well to say Rory became a bit upset is a definite understatement, never mess with an Irish man with a brain injury :) Rory and my Mom are right and the doctor really wasn't thinking, considering my Mom was only 44 when diagnosed I think it's time I stop nodding and get it done!!



Anyway here is the Flat Stanley post I was going to do yesterday:

Yesterday Trevor had his Flat Stanley send off at school. It was quite sweet. The class had a big pancake breakfast and then put their packages together. Trevor's Flat Stanley is on his way to Ireland. It was cool because the Flat Stanley was holding an Olympic flag and I believe they included some Olympic themed items with the packages, only 119 days to go till the big event.

I had never heard of the Flat Stanley project (http://www.flatstanleyproject.com/) until my cousins son was in second grade a few years ago, I think it is an incredible way to teach the kids about different countries and cultures. I was just saying to Rory last night that kids today have such a global opportunity with education, if utilized correctly it can make learning that much more fun and interesting.
I am a big fan of learning through experience (don't get me wrong I understand the importance of learning the fundamentals as well) , can you imagine the life lessons you could teach while travelling to different countries and experiencing life as they live it. It has always been my dream to give my kids a globe, have them spin and point at it. Where it lands is where we go. That will never happen though as Rory isn't a risk taker, he likes his traditional vacation spots :)

If given the opportunity and money wasn't a factor where would you go and why?

I tempted fate! and I have a plan :)

I wrote my last post thinking that we were done for the snow. The forecast was for rain so I decided to get the kids out one last time before everything turned into a soupy mess. I went to my Moms today and after a lunch out we headed to the park to play in the snow. We had such a great time until the wind started. It was crazy, it was blowing so hard that the snow was falling off the houses around us making for a fun walk home, who would get a dump of snow on their head next was the question.

After quickly getting the kids out of their snowsuits I looked outside and guess what?, yep you guessed it, snowing AGAIN! This was around 3:30 and as I write this post at 11:30 it is still and hasn't stopped snowing. We have had about another 15 cms of snow today. It is seriously driving me NUTS!

Anyway enough about weather. If anyone knows me well enough they know that I LOVE to travel. After my Dad passed away so early in his life with so many travel dreams left undone I decided there and then that that would not happen to me.

I know for a fact that I am driving my penny pinching (when it comes to travel) husband crazy. So rather than see the eyes roll and have him tell me for the hundredth time that we cannot afford it (he's right but seriously life is too short, you have to find a way I say) I have devised a plan for the next family vacation.

I am hoping this will happen around Trevs b-day in late April. My plan is this, cut my spending without him noticing. What? you say. Well I don't know about you but I find I can waste a lot of money, it seems like nothing at the time, a coffee at Tim Hortons, a chocolate bar, a magazine here a magazine there etc. I have noticed over the last few days that I can do without these things.

So instead of depleting any savings in a big way for a vacation I plan to start a secret savings in which I will put $10 - $20 away every day, he won't miss it but I think it should add up quite quickly. Rory also has no idea what I make from my business, it has always been my personal spending money so that too will make it's way into the fund.

I am not planning on an African safari or anything elaborate, simply a family vacation to Disneyworld or land, I am dying to see Brendans reaction now that he is aware of the characters and takes to rides and such. So I am crossing my fingers that I can make this work because Rory can't say no if the tickets are in my hand purchased and non-refundable. Oh what games I play!!!!

Cheers (tomorrow my New Years resolutions)