The Bright Side: There's popcorn on the floor, and I don't have to sweep it up

On the windowsill in the hospital room

 Soooo...I have been dreading yesterday, and today, and part of tomorrow, for quite a while.  Back in the hoosegow...(hospital).  We have had three months away, which is amazing considering we were spending every dang weekend in the hospital during those first few months.  "Absence" did not make "the heart grow fonder" in this circumstance... However, I will admit, the hospital is not all bad. 

Sure, there are those things which are... the strange P-shaped pullout couch/bed which is the antonym of "ergonomically correct" (my poor back), the midnight and early morning visits from nurses scrambling around trying not to make noise, and, of course, the dull orange "cure" that is dripping through my son's veins (which is good, but also bad...).

However, I have noticed that there are some nice benefits, and I might as well focus on them, right?

1.  I am still in my jammies and it is 8:25 am.  No worries about what to scrape together for lunch, or half-naked boys who "can't find any pants!," or screams of pain because "he's singing about me!" or searching for Zoom-a-goo-glow-in-the-dark shoes that were "just here!" and now, are not.  (Although, I am afraid, my first grader will almost certainly be tardy...John called me at 8 am and the boys were still sleeping...and the lunches were still not made.  School starts at 8:45.  But here I am, in my jammies. Can't blame me.) 

2.  The shuffling nurses woke me up just in time to see the beautiful sunset (oops, I mean sunrise).  I'm a night owl.  I never see sunrises.

3.  I have had time to figure out what everyone means by "ISO" (well, kinda).  Yes, I know.  I keep hearing about them.  I see people put little notes at the bottom of their photos describing which aperture and which ISO (or are those the same thing?) they used,  and I feel photographically intimidated.  However, so far, I have not taken the time to figure it out.  So I did this morning, with the sunrise.  Maybe that wasn't the best of subjects? because all of the pictures came out looking pretty much the same? but at least I fiddled around with it. I am a little less in the dark. A little.

4.  I have had time to read the short story that my friend has been begging me to read. Albeit, "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" was playing loudly in the background, so I'm not sure I got the depth of meaning she was hoping me to glean from it, but I did read it.

5. The boys ate popcorn in bed and then dumped the whole bag on themselves (and the floor),  and someone else has to clean it up...  (Come to think of it, the popcorn is still here, on the floor. No one is cleaning it up, and I keep stepping on it.  Maybe that one's a push? )  

6.  No dirty laundry or dirty dishes staring me in the face (except the cafeteria trays with left-over jello, chocolate milk and the chicken soup Andrew keeps rejecting.) 

7. I'm getting caught up on movies I have missed.  I just saw "The Blind Side" last night.  Finally.  I have also memorized all of the words to "Max & Ruby's Perfect Pumpkin" and the "three additional episodes."

8.  Plenty of Mommy-and-Andrew time.  I am the recipient of hugs and kisses and zerbits (a bit slobbery, but sweet), and I get to participate in thoughtful three-year-old conversations.  With a sad little frown, Andrew told me, pushing his scrambled eggs around his plate, that he could no longer be "Luigi" for Halloween because Luigi does not eat eggs, and Luigi does not go to the hospital.  We discussed.  

9.  We have a nice view, with a window seat (at least for a three-year-old).



10.  Tomorrow we will be able to scratch one more "chemo" off  the calendar.  Eleven down.  Three to go.