eatthefrostingfirst

I was 41 when I was diagnosed with DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ). The "good" cancer. The non invasive kind. Stage 0. If you're going to get cancer, who doesn't want stage 0? DCIS is so controversial that some doctors say not even to treat it. Why treat a cancer that's contained to the ducts. It MAY not spread. Some say we are over treating DCIS and women are having unnecessary mastectomies. I wasn't taking the chance. Actually even if I wanted to take the chance I couldn't because mine was wide spread and extensive.  I had a single mastectomy- learned the DCIS was grade 3 (aggressive) and went on Tamoxifen for 5 years. I met survivors over the years. Real survivors. Ones who had chemo treatments and lost their hair and were really sick. Survivors who had cancer that wasn't stage 0. I felt like a fraud. I ONLY had a mastectomy. I ONLY had DCIS. It was the good cancer. I had no right classifying myself as a survivor. A mastectomy was the finale. ...

I returned to summer camp this year. YES- you can go back! I'm working at a day camp basically because camp, any kind, is in my blood. My youngest is away at overnight camp (the camp which was once my happy place is now his- couldnt be more excited) and my oldest just isnt the overnight camp type. Ive learned this is okay and I have found that there IS a place for tweens at day camp. Contrary to popular belief, you do not necessarily need to outgrow day camp come the age of 9. Many kids do not want to sleepaway and this is okay parents. Do not push them because this really needs to be their decision. Day camp however, is just as beneficial. My oldest, shy and reserved and takes a good long while to warm up to people just performed yesterday in front of 100 + people in a lip sync contest- dancing and all. The dance wasnt the best but I beamed throughout the entire performance. Why? Because he was out of his comfort zone, trying something new, and was accepted. He was cheered fo...

ENOUGH of the articles about picky eaters. If I listened to all that I read my picky eater would be an obese child with ADHD, depression, OCD and have neurotic parents. Okay, the neurotic parent(s) part may be true but really people? Kids have been picky eaters for decades. We have all survived. And enough blaming the mother who makes two different meals. NEWSFLASH: My mother made two different meals. I'm a healthy grown adult who eats veggies and has a (relatively) well balanced diet. Picky eating leads to food allergies? I ate three things for lunch as a kid. Maybe four. I have no allergies. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Let's stop the blame. Stop the craziness. Stop the meal battles. Your kids will be fine. How do I know this? Because I am fine. And my friends are fine. And believe me, we were not the first picky eaters to grow up in the 70's. I ate PB and Fluff every day for lunch. I don't even really like peanut butter now. McDonalds was a staple. I shutter at t...

  Disclaimer: I am a camper through and through. I would return in a minute which is one of the reasons I love  living vicariously  through 7 weeks of overnight camp through my son's eyes.  That said; I realize overnight camp is not for every child.  As much as it was/is a part of my life; I realized that my older son wants no part of it.  And, with a heavy sigh, that's okay. I have had many conversations with people about the decision to send my 10 year old son to overnight camp. Not just any overnight camp. MY overnight camp. It is true that when we discussed the possibility of camp we toured one and only one camp. Was I biased? Of course I was. Did I know my kid? Yes.  I knew that if he was going to go anywhere, this would be the place. After 3 1/2 weeks last year, he called us asking to stay the full 7 week session.  After I squealed with delight (and cringed at the thought of what another session would cost us) I did the happy dance. My ki...