She’s a little nervous. She has a full week ahead. On Monday, she returns for chemotherapy. Then, Tuesday she goes in for a new MRI scan. Wednesday, it’s a full evaluation from her neurooncologist. All in all, she’ll be spending a lot of time at Children’s Hospital. I have previously written about her growing maturity and sense of wellness. January will mark the sixth year of her journey. In six years, any child will change a lot.

Even in November, Jordan prefers to lounge California style–in a bikini. She had a rough couple of days this weekend. Saturday, as we started our weekly pancake ritual, she suddenly ran for the bathroom. By the time I caught up with her she was retching over the toilet, emptying what little she had in her stomach. True to form, Jordan was unstoppable. As I held her hair, she kept trying to talk to me, garbling her words with burps and vomit.

Our refrigerator melted down. When I awoke Tuesday to a pool of water, I blamed the kids for not closing the freezer door. Then I hopped on a plane for a week of travel. It turns out the kids closed the door. The fridge shorted out. As a result, all the food we’d saved / neglected / relied upon spoiled. Other than a few essential items Jeanette purchased yesterday, the cooler is now completely bare.

I don’t mean this as a political message at all. I am in St. Paul, MN. At 10pm CT, Jordan called me. She was euphoric, hooting and hollering. I asked her why she was so happy. Her reply: –Barack Obama won! Isn’t that cool?

For the second time in a row, we made it through October with Jordan in good health. The cursed month appears to be behind us. She’s not only healthy, she’s vibrant. Halloween was a tour de force. Luc turned in for the night long before Jordan did. She met with her oncologist on Wednesday and received a glowing progress report. In December, she’ll get another MRI to track the changes in tumor growth.