Finally Telling the Kids

October 21, 2012:

Sunday evening, and we finally told the kids the news and what it means. I made my husband be the bearer of bad news (we've already talked about how I'm a bad wife, so this should surprise no one). 

We had originally decided to go out to dinner with the kids and my parents and tell everyone at the same time...in public...so that no one (my mom) could go crazy. I decided that it would make us never want to go back to whatever restaurant we chose, so we told the kids today at home, and will tell my parents tomorrow (or not...there's still hope I can pay someone else to do it).

The kids were GREAT and handled it in typical kid "whatever" fashion. Now, I'm not saying that they aren't concerned or a little freaked out, but they are total troopers, and can't really do anything at this point anyway. And they are pretty used to a life that isn't all rainbows and buttercups.

It was about a 10 minute conversation from start to finish (I'm learning that my husband likes to give news like he gives directions...TOO MUCH INFORMATION). At the end, I asked the kids if they had any questions. Here's what I got:

AJ (10 year old daughter): (1) Who's going to be staying with us while you're having radiation? (Note to self: 10 year olds don't automatically realize when you tell them that radiation will be 5 days/week for 7 weeks, that you will be at home every day, not living at the hospital).
(2) Who's taking me trick-or-treating?

Alex (15 year old son): (1) So, you're not going to die? (2) Can you fix my phone now? Yep, typical teenage boy...slightly more concerned about the broken iPhone and that dad had promised to fix it tonight. 

So, it looks like we survived the scariest part of the process for me. Apparently I didn't even need to freak out about it. And before you think my son is a heartless, teenage boy, he did give me a hug before he went to bed, and I'm not sure I've had one of those from him since he was 8. But don't tell anyone, because there were no other witnesses and I'm sure that he'll deny it.