December 13th, 1978-in which Nancy battles depression

I feel more and more depressed as the month advances.  Today was Mom's Birthday and I forgot to call and wish her a Happy Birthday.  In fact, I forgot it was the 13th until nearly midnight tonight.  

Petey brought home a note from school complaining about parents sending their children to school when they are sick-and I know it meant me because Petey threw up spectacularly in the parking lot after school.  I feel so guilty for letting him go to school while I went to the doctor.  He only threw up once and didn't run a fever so I'm convinced it was the combination of spaghetti and chocolate milk (and salted rice chex) that made him throw up...but I still feel guilty....AAAND I sent his gift exchange present today when they were supposed to be taken to the party.  I can't do anything right.  I spent $17.00 on Christmas and Birthday presents and I still don't have anything for Thelma's family (they're giving us something so I HAVE to give them something) or Betty's boys.  I have to take money out of savings to go to Boise with, because Thelma wants to go to the Salvation Army stores and they only take cash, and anyhow I only have $20.00 left and I'll have to get groceries.  Petey didn't eat anything today except cinnamon toast and raviolis.  I just know he's going to get sick from malnutrition.  He's been exposed to Chicken Pox and could get shingles again and there's nothing I can do about it.  Nobody called or came by today and the only mail was a hospital bill.  Ugh!

December 1st, 1978-in which Nancy writes a biography for Peter

Peter is "Child of the Week" at his school.

Peter was born November 6th, 1972 in Manchester, England.  His father lives in England.  Peter came to the United States when he was 12 months old.  He flew in an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean.  Peter has Leukemia and sometimes Dr. De la Paz lets him give his own IVs.  Peter and his mother went to Newport for a vacation this summer.  They rode on Amtrak.  Peter saw the Pacific Ocean and built sand castles on the beach.  Peter likes fire engines and Super Heroes (especially Batman and Wonder Woman_.  Peter has five pet fish that live in an aquarium in his room.

Date Unknown (1978)-in which Nancy records her very bad dream

I dreamed I was in a church yard in Kansas.  The gravestones were all flat markers surrounded by red bricks.  The church was red brick, too.  There was a large rectangular pool by the side of the church.  It was bright blue.  All around the countryside was dust.  I decided to go into the church but inside was a witch making corn dollies and poppets.  I knew they had to be burned, but when I tried to burn them in the alter flame, the witch put a curse on the fire and it turned black and wouldn't burn.  Thre was straw on the floor and I tried to drop lighted matches into it because she'd forgotten to curse the floor.  That meant the whole church would burn instead of the dolls, but it had to be purified.  Then I was in the ruins of a house and  I found a brain in a bowl of liquid that was creating a disturbance all around the house.  I knew it had to be destroyed but I didn't know how.  My mother and father tried to destroy it, but when they got close, they just shriveled up like burst balloons-only their empty outsides were left.  Then we sent for a minister and a doctor but we hadn't destroyed the brain when Pete woke me up...

November 28th, 1978*

 *PUBLISHING NOTE:  I've made an editorial decision to move the story along a bit into 1978 (prior entries have been from 1977) in order to add some variety to the daily proceedings (though perhaps we'll circle back at some point), I felt the changes that came in my first year in school might add something to the previous year's rhythms and information (new people, new situations, et. al.).  Additionally, I'll be (within the best of my abilities) trying to stay more concurrent with corresponding dates/time frames as applicable- (i.e. logging entries from December 1978 as we proceed through December 2016)-noting that perhaps BECAUSE of the increased activity, Mom jumps around a bit more in her daily recordings.  

Thanks to all who've voiced your support and continue to have an interest in this project!-

-Peter
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We had our first snowfall today and Pete hand his first real birhday party.  The United Methodist Women gave Yai Kido $20.00 to do something for Pete's birthday, and she suggested a party at MacDonald's.  Pete had never had a real birthday party before, so he was very excited about it.  It was scheduled for November 6th but Pete was ill and had to stay home.  Then it was scheduled for November 27th but Dr. Vestal scheduled his spinal tap that Monday.  Finally it was set for Tuesday, the 28th.  Then, this morning, it snowed.  But the snow had all melted off by this afternoon and Mike Kido had a cold and couldn't come.  We had Fawn, Vicky, and Tricia, and Pete and me in Yai's car.  Marilyn had to go to the bank so she met us at MacDonald's with Nicole and Kristen.  We ordered and then one of the girls came out with a target and velcro wrapped balls, and they had a contest. 

Each of the children got a certificate for free french fries, and Tricia, the winner, got two.  Then Pete opened his presents.  Tricia gave him a pretty blue shirt, Nicole gave him checked blue pants, Yai & Mike and Mr. & Mrs. Peters (friends of Yai's) gave him Superman socks, RDD2, a Battlestar Galactica shirt, and a Spider Man shirt.  Fawn gave him a Mickey Mouse shoe bag and two balloons.  I gave him a Star Wars X-Wing Fighter (PL NOTE:-soooo wish I still had this!).  We ate hamburgers and french fries and drank pop-it came in special plastic glasses for the children to keep and each child got a party hat and a plastic MacDonald's Christmas stocking.  They brought out the cake with six candles on it, and the staff sang Happy Birthday to Peter.  He had some trouble blowing out the candles-it took three puffs.  The cake had Ronald MacDonald with balloons and a little plaque that said Happy Birthday from Ronald MacDonald.  Pete got the Ronald decoration but just ate the chocolate cake under it.  It was moist chocolate cake with a thick creamy vanilla flavored vanilla flavored sugar icing.  Yai took lots of pictures (PL Note: Sadly these have been lost over the years).  The party came to just under $14.00 and Yai said she'd use the rest of the money to have the film developed.  She's going to give pictures to the United Methodist Women too.  Then it was time to go and we put everyone's coats back on-Fawn's under protest.  Marilyn took Nicole and Kristen home, and Yai took the rest.  We dropped Fawn and Vicky at Fawn's house then we brought Tricia home and I phoned Connie but she wasn't home.  I phoned Lorraine but got no answer.  Tricia and Petey played for a while and then there was a knock at the door-Connie.  After Tricia left, Petey tried on his new shorts.  They're big, but he likes them.  He has three new pairs of pants from Grandpa too, a new sweater from Daniel and Maria and a new shirt from Kay and George, so he's really well outfitted for a while.  Petey liked the party and it went well-no crying, no arguing, and no spills.  After waiting so long, I couldn't believe it finally came off so well (we sent home a hat, a stocking, and a hamburger/french fries for poor Mike).  I felt guilty about not inviting Lolita and Cindy but they didn't come the first time they were invited, nor bring Pete a present, and he hasn't played with them since before he got sick, so we asked Tricia, Vicky, and Nicole instead.