Hallow-yawn

Halloween came. Halloween went. And I really didn't do anything for it, because a) I've been feeling awesome, and b) two of the kids got swine flu the Tuesday before, so we were all kind of quarantined to our house for a couple of days. (By the way, Tamiflu rocks!) We didn't carve pumpkins, Brock didn't get to go to his preschool party, and I have zero Halloween decorations to put out in the first place. Just call me the Halloween Scrooge.

But, my kids were well enough by Thursday, so they got to go trick-or-treating with Pete on Saturday. Troy was "Optimus Plime" (according to him: most "r"s in words he replaces with "l"s), Ivy was a chubby butterfly, Jakob was Bumblebee, and Brock was Spiderman.

I'm glad that we got costumes over a month in advance, but I was kind of sad that I wasn't able to dress them up in something where they all fit together. Example: last year my friend and I dressed up our families as all the characters from "The Wizard of Oz", and it was so cute! It's just that every year my kids end up being super heroes, and I know that Brock has been Spiderman before. But I need to remember that to them the characters are so totally different, even if it's not to me. I kept trying to convince my boys to be a group, like the 3 Musketeers, or Blue Man Group, or the 3 Amigos. But they weren't going to have it. Maybe next year? But if not, oh well, because when I was a kid, I dressed up as Annie for at least two Halloweens.

Note to self for next year: don't be a Downer Dan about Halloween!

The War on Drugs

I would love to write more that just a smattering of ideas that randomly come through my mind, but I'm still heavily medicated, so smattering, partial ideas is really all I get right now. I'm slowly trying to wean back on the pain meds, but my tummy is a bit tender and my back is a bit sore. And sometimes, "a bit" is "a lot". But the drugs are driving me crazy, because I can't think well. Seriously, I don't know how people get addicted to pain meds. I mean, sure, it gets rid of pain, but it makes my brain feel like a roller coaster ride that I barely remember. I guess if you like to be dizzy and stupid, then being addicted would be awesome.

I've been renting and watching "Friends". I'm on Season 3. It's like comfort food.

I'm in love with "Glee". After the first 5 minutes of the first episode, I was hooked. Go watch it! (Follow my link-it takes you to Hulu, which has some of the full episodes).

Before my surgery my fam got some pics taken down by the river by Megan Blethen. They turned out really well! This one is one of my favorites. I'm just having a hard time deciding which ones I want, and in what sizes. And since my brain is SO good at concentrating right now...grrr. Go take a look!

I'm glad that my kids already have Halloween costumes.

I love naps.

The end.

Drug-Induced Musings

You know how there are some musicians that take drugs and totally make their best music when high? Well, you're not going to get any genius from me while I'm on pain meds; I mostly just lose my short-term memory and repeat myself a lot and watch the room spin around. Which can be fun, too, I guess. I was going to make this super clever post about my awesome surgery, but the more I think of it in my swooshing head the more it's just not super clever. But I still want to type, so you get a mediocre version of my super witty post. Lucky you! (See? And I said "super" at least three times in the last two sentences. Yay, short term memory!)

First, I realized that I should have explained my surgery; I just kind of threw the news out there. I had what is called uterine prolapse, where the ligaments that typically hold the uterus in place and upright kind of gave up, which was giving me a lot of back pain; the solution was to get a complete hysterectomy. Despite some nausea afterwards, the surgery went well, and hopefully I'll be getting back to normal soon. I can't do any lifting or stretching for about a month, which means no housework like sweeping or vacuuming or laundry. So it's like a vacation. A pretty sucky vacation, but a break of sorts nevertheless.

The anesthesiologist that came in the first time (I saw about three or four of those guys, but I'd better only get charged for one of 'em) was like the McDreamy of my hospital; I swear when he smiled he that little star-thingy (*) by his teeth and it went ping! All of the nurses and doctors were really nice, especially since my surgery got pushed back because of an emergency C-section my doctor had to perform.

They had this thing called Bair Paws; the dressing gown had little tubey things in it, and a tube of warm air connected to it, and it fills the gown with warm air. Oooooh, so nice. I'm going to try to link to a pic of it right here. I've also had these anti-embolism stockings, which have kept my post-surgery cankles in check, and keeps the circulation a-flowing, so my feet are actually warm, and helps with the blood clot chances. Added bonuses there! Oh, and the best part: they had these leg brace looking things, and they alternately fill with air and squeeze your legs a little bit, then let go. Again, for the clotting reason, but it was like a 24-hour leg massage. Me likey. A lot.

I totally stayed up until 2 a.m. Monday night making bags for YW in Excellence, along with hemming these colored cloth things. I did a really crappy job. It was like drunk dialing, but for seamstresses. I don't think I could have done a better job with my current drugged state as I did that night. Which tells you how great of a seamstress I am.

When we were checking in at the hospital, they asked if we wanted to pay upfront. I asked if we could get a discount if we did pay now. We got 20% off. There are a lot of couponers out there that would be so proud of us.

Um, that's all I can think of right now. Maybe when I'm a bit more sober/lucid/coherent I'll come up with something more.

To Do

I'm having surgery Wednesday morning. Also, YW in Excellence is tomorrow.

I have SO much to do, yet I'm sitting here, checking people's blogs, and generally doing nothing much.

To do:
- Clean the entire house. This includes the absolutely disgusting bathrooms, which I hate hate hate to do. This last week two of my piano students had to use the bathroom; they are both girls. And, um, we have no toilet paper in that bathroom, because a) I have boys that only have to wipe every once in a while and use Kandoo wipes to do it, and b) when the roll is on the holder, my kids (usually Ivy, now) unroll the WHOLE thing onto the floor. Both girls were like, Uh, you have no toilet paper. I was like, use the kleenex? Yeah, it was embarrassing.
- Make these yummy applesauce bars, kind of like carrot cake, with a yummy cream cheese frosting on top. Mmmmm....
- The Neverending Laun-n-dreeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! (I wish I had a house elf, just for doing laundry.)
- Sew some scripture bags that we're giving to the young women for tomorrow night. Easy peasy, but first I need to clean my kitchen and mop my floor so I have somewhere to put my sewing machine.
- Pay some bills, which is why I originally sat down at the computer, but decided I would check blogs/email first.

*sigh*

What are you procrastinating doing right now?

Nice Rack

Look what I did! It's hard to see, but this weekend I hung a little tool holder rack in my garage, along with the weed whacker holder and two garden hose holders. (Oh, and that snazzy shelf? Yep, did that all by myself a while ago. Which is totally a phrase that a 3-year-old would use when, say, dressing himself.)

When it comes to being handy, Pete and I both suck. Sure, he has brute strength, and I have the patience to put things together. But, Pete can get very angry at inanimate objects very fast, and I have zero strength to lift things, and usually mess it up and have to redo it. And this is why we almost always hire out handiwork.

So, I'm rather proud of my racks. It's all level and everything! Just call me Handy Manny. (Okay, really, please don't call me that-I hate that show.)

Who's the Boss?

Lately Troy has been very obsessed with "the boss" -and no, I don't mean Bruce Springsteen. He wants to know who is in charge, and of what, and when. Always. And most of the time, he thinks that it should be him.

He'll tell one of his brothers something to do, but there's no way they should be able to do the same to him. Troy: "Brock, sit down." Brock: "No, you sit down!" Troy: (pointing a threatening finger at his brother) "Don't tell me what to do!"

Troy is always asking me if I'm the one in charge, to which I reply that yes, yes I am. But then, when I'm not in the room, I overhear him telling his brothers or sister that he's the one in charge. A new phrase at our house, repeated several times during the day, is: "Troy, you are the boss of you." We have to let him know that he's in charge of himself, and his actions. We also have to tell him he is in charge of his toys (so he knows to clean them up since, you know, he's in charge).

However, he gets a little confused that both Pete and I are in charge. I mean, one of us has to be the boss, right? And maybe that's why he thinks that really, it should be him, at all times. Such a cute, delusional, three-year-old.

A Child's Prayer

Heavenly Father, are you really there? And do you hear and answer every child's prayer? Some say that heaven is far away, but I feel it close around me as I pray.

Ivy's prayer face, 16 months old

Heavenly Father, I remember now something that Jesus told disciples long ago: “Suffer the children to come to me.” Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee.

Troy's prayer face, 2 1/2 years old

Pray, He is there; speak, He is listening. You are His child; His love now surrounds you.

Brock's prayer face, 2 1/2 years old

He hears your prayer; He loves the children. Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heaven.

Jakob's prayer face, 2 1/2 years old