5 Little Monkeys

I know you all know the song about 5 Little Monkeys jumping on the bed. Yes, you will be singing it most of the day to yourself, sorry. When Anna and I are in the car I find we sing a lot of songs together. My days of listening to the radio blasting are sadly over but they are replaced with talking with my daughter which is so much better.

Last week we had to see GYN doctor in Manhattan for my Mother. I find it hard to believe that it has been six months since her uterine cancer was removed. When we first started going to Sloan-Kettering when Anna was home only for a couple of weeks the days were long. We would leave the house at 5 am and not return until close to 9 pm. Part of it was the drive the other part was she had to see many different specialist along with multiple tests. With each visit my Mother would say "I have a new grand baby, she is adopted from Russia." So many of the doctors who we have visited with know about Anna but have never met her.

Now that the dust seems to be settling with my Mother's health there are some shorter trips. On these shorter trips I have decided to take Anna with us. Anna dazzled the doctor by putting together a 100 piece puzzle while we waited for him to review my Mother's films and test results. But that was not the funniest part of the visit.

Anna and I practiced saying "Hello Doctor" on the ride up. I want Anna to be polite. Addressing others when you meet them with eye contact and a greeting is the start. Well Anna looked him in the eye said "Hello Doctor" then busted into her version of Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed. The doctor looked at me because with Anna's speech delay it can be difficult to understand what she is saying. I started to sing along. When it came to the part of the song that says...And the Doctor said...Anna pointed at the Doctor and insisted he sing along. He laughed, we all laughed.

So even though the day is long on the short trips, Anna has proven that she is okay going with us. I hope that we can include some fun times into our trips. I hope to be able to save up for tickets to see Lion King on Broadway after one of these appointments. When we first started going to Sloan-Kettering I never thought that Anna would be able to sit in the car that long in traffic or the waiting room. I never thought that she would allow me to listen to the doctor as he or she spoke about my Mother's condition. I just can not believe how much she has grown.