Doodle Tells it Like it Is!

I'm sure most people would find it hard to believe that Doodle is so willing to voice her opinion. She puts on such a shy, demure show that it doesn't seem possible that she is, in actuality, the most blunt child of the three. In fact, on our recent trip to Branson we found a shirt that said "Little Miss Bossy" on the front that I almost bought. I didn't want to limit her to just being bossy, though, so I didn't buy it. It's not so much that she really seems bossy, she is just the manager of the three. She gives instructions to her sisters exceptionally well with pretty amazing results. Anyway... Her latest phrase with me has been I LOVE you. Okay, so when I'm typing it it doesn't have the same effect, but it's the way she says it. If you can imagine saying I love you while sort of frowning (not sad, mind you, but just pulling down the corners of your mouth while you say it) you'll just about have it. I guess you also have to sort of draw it out to a longer phrase and lower your voice a little as well. What I wouldn't give to know how many of you are actually trying to do this! She has also been giving "good" kisses by putting her hands on our cheeks and kissing us. She's very affectionate with me but doesn't really get so lovey with Dad. In fact, after telling me repeatedly tonight that she loves me Dad asked if she loves him. Her reply? "Only a little." Yeah, I know. That will change drastically in the years to come. That's why I'm soaking it up now.

As for telling it like it is, we've been noticing lately that Dad is lacking a little in the hearing department. We're not sure if he's losing his hearing or just losing the desire to listen. Either way, we have been repeating ourselves often. This evening while Doodle & I were in the bathroom getting her jammies on Hanny asked, through the closed door, how to play a Bingo game we hadn't played for a year or more. I attempted to explain but she just didn't quite get it. We heard her walk away saying she didn't understand what I said. Hope, always on her toes, sighed and then told me in a frustrated voice, "She's just like Dad." Of course since then he told her he'd stay in bed with her until she fell asleep, so he's in her good graces now.

Hanny & Boo have been playing together all evening. Before leaving Branson on Wednesday Boo snatched Papa's straw hat and wouldn't give it back to him before we headed our separate ways. She wore it all the way home and has slept with it on the end of her bed since then. Tonight she's been wearing it again. He'll probably never get it back. I asked why she was wearing it and she told me she just missed Papa. She's a sentimental little lady - definitely a girl after her mama's own heart.

Kindergarten Orientation

The girls had their first taste of Kindergarten today for a couple hours. Obviously they were pretty apprehensive about the whole thing, but they did very well for being scared. They met their teacher, listened to a story, learned some of the rules, toured the school, played on the playground and had a snack. It was a nice introduction to kdg and one I'm glad we attended. Hanny, as usual, was the mother hen and took care of her sisters. Boo & Doodle held her hands for security, also as usual. I'm so thankful they have each other. We've decided to just do half days (at least for awhile) as well, which calms my fears a little. We will have to do some of their instruction/work at home, but I look forward to that. I chuckled to myself when their teacher told us that by the end of kdg they would like for them to be able to count to 100 if possible. She also mentioned that they would be learning their letters and letter sounds. By November they will begin learning a few sight words. These are all things the girlies are doing now and have been for several months. They're going to do just fine once they get over the hump of being scared. I'm sure they'll make amazing strides. I almost feel bad admitting that it might be nice to have a few hours each day to get things done and take care of things that I haven't been able to get done in the past 5+ years. I'd like to paint several rooms in the house after cleaning them out thoroughly. I need to shampoo the carpets as well. I don't think I'll lack for things to keep me busy for a few hours each day. I also plan to get my exercise in during that time period. That has suffered considerably for the last few months due to being gone, being busy, having surgery and recovering from that, etc. I'm going to get back in the swing of things soon, though. I've got a few more pounds I'd like to lose or at least rearrange. My goal now is to tone up and get rid of any unnecessary fluff that is trying to stay with me. I don't have as far to go at this point, but I'm not ready to quit yet.

Oh, Me of Little Faith

Well, if you've read the previous post, you know I had a disgustingly frustrating afternoon. After trying it on my own for a couple hours, I did in fact pray before tackling it again. Surprise, surprise, it worked. It worked within 15 minutes, in fact. Why do I ever attempt to do anything without praying first? Seriously. How many times does this have to happen before I just begin everything I do with a prayer? I think maybe I've been beaten over the head with it enough that it will change my actions this time. I hope so. I always catch myself thinking that I should be able to handle/do things on my own and that I'm "bothering" God by asking for help. Now, really, just how absurd is that? As a parent, if one of my daughters is having a rough time, I want to help them. I don't want them to struggle with anything unnecessarily. Granted, sometimes struggling teaches a much-needed lesson. But sometimes I struggle with things only because I don't want to ask for help. Is it pride? Maybe. Is it that I don't feel like I deserve help? Very possibly. But just by being God's child I have an unfathomable amount of help, love and support wrapped around me, ready for the taking. All I have to do is ask. So from now on, pray first, then do. Pray first, then do. Easy, right?

NOT a Plumber...

So there seems to be some sort of misunderstanding here. For the record, I am NOT a plumber. I'm pretty sure when I applied for the job of "Mom" I didn't see that on the job description. With good reason, as I wouldn't have signed up for this gig if I had known I was going to be responsible for the household plumbing needs. I have spent the day giving it my all with mixed results. I replaced the inner workings of my (and the girls') toilet and then went to work on Dad's. Just like the man who uses it, it is difficult, to say the least. Kidding, Honey! :) It couldn't just work like it should. It couldn't make it easy on me. It had to have a defect that causes it to leak. Yes, it is a defect and not repair-woman error. Believe me, I have seen every nook and cranny it has to offer and I know I've found the problem. While identifying the problem is a step in the right direction, it hasn't helped me figure out how to rig it so it will work without leaking. It's not something I can just work around, either. My head hurts, my hands are raw from loosening and tightening and I want to give up. If I was a cussing person, I would be spewing expletives left and right. But I'm not. Maybe I'll turn to prayer instead...it can't hurt. I would really like to accomplish SOMETHING today. Would that be too much to ask?

Back to Almost Normal

I am almost back to my old self again. I had my 1 week post-op check and learned that the pathology report was good. All it showed was endometriosis on the things they removed.

We've had a good day today. It's always nice to feel like I've really accomplished something. Some days I feel like I'm just chasing my tail all day long. I clean up one mess only to find it again an hour later. Not today! I didn't do anything particularly exciting, but made vegetable soup, have homemade noodles waiting to be put in the soup to cook and have a double batch of peanut butter cookies in the fridge ready to be baked in the morning so I can stick them in the freezer. It seems like cookies always taste better out of the freezer - maybe it's just because Grandma always had cookies in her freezer. Whatever the reason, I try to keep some ready for any little angel who decides she's in the mood for a cookie. I want to do more freezer cooking in the upcoming weeks/months and hope to post my meal plans on here. It'll be helpful for me to keep track of what we have from one week to the next. It will also help to be more organized where our meals are concerned. I've done it before, so I know it's possible! Wish me luck!

OUCH!!!

I am two days past surgery and am finally able to be up moving for more than a few minutes. I, hold on to your hats, even showered today. It took until this morning just to get brave enough to pull off all five band-aids. The first one wasn't so bad as it was just a regular size band-aid covering my belly button incision. The second two were uncomfortable, but not painful. They were the LARGE size band-aids, but were mid-abdomen level so they weren't terrible to remove. The final two, however, made me hold my breath and close my eyes. They were covering the two largest incisions and were below my c-section scar. Not an ideal place for large, very sticky band-aids. Add to that that those were really the only two incisions that were causing any pain at the time and it was just a little stress-inducing. I was pleasantly suprised at how good they all looked though. I only had one incision that had bled at all onto the band-aids. My instructions are to not get too warm and get sweaty until after my 10-day check up. It's July in Kansas... I fully intend to do my best! We had a nice day today, though, so I have taken three trips outside to walk to the neighbor's driveway. That's major progress from yesterday's walks to the kitchen and back.

From what I hear (Gary talked to the doctor afterwards) the surgery went very well and he accomplished all he set out to do. I even have two sheets of pictures, although I haven't yet been able to ascertain what body parts are smiling for the camera. That's not totally correct. I was able to identify my ovaries in their final picture together and also the "after" picture of the left one in the plastic bag. The doctor told Gary he'd explain them to me at my check-up. As for me, I was already loopy by the time we got to the OR and was not ready to wake up when I was in recovery. It was such a pleasant sleep - no dreams, no noise, nothing. I slept off and on all the way home, trying to escape the nausea. By mid-evening I gave in to it, to put it mildly, and decided at 1:30 in the morning that there would be no more strong pain pills for me. Since then I've survived on Motrin & Tylenol. I can stand discomfort much better when there's no underlying nausea. I've made good progress since Wednesday, so hopefully tomorrow will be even better.

I don't think I'll win any races anytime soon. At the moment I'm thankful for loose shorts as I'm so swollen I don't think any of my pants would fit. Hopefully I'll be better than normal in a couple weeks. No pressure...

What's up with us...

Let's get the good news first. Boo lost her first tooth! She's been patiently waiting but finally took matters into her own hands to get that tooth moved out. She spent over an hour wiggling Tuesday evening and ended up with a visit from the Tooth Fairy. Her other tooth had already broken through behind her baby tooth, so it was definitely time to get it out of there.

We have all been fighting (in shifts) a summer cold for the last 3 weeks. Hanny came down with it first, passed it on to her dad & me, and now the twinkies are trying to cough it out of their systems. We've very effectively shared it with every member of my extended family as well. Sorry guys! It's been a tough one to get rid of, but we're managing. The girls don't mind it so much since I sleep on the living room floor with them while they're sick. It's just easier than having to run back & forth from their bedroom when they're coughing or wake up for some other reason. I haven't slept in my own bed since June 22. I'm looking forward to getting into a softer spot, to put it mildly.

I am having surgery next week, and I am not looking forward to it. Well, that's not totally true. I hope that it takes care of the pain I've had for the past couple years, and if it does, it will be worth the worry. It's just difficult for me to give up total control and allow myself to be totally and completely in someone else's hands. I don't like being that vulnerable. I guess it's just a lesson in life, though. I'm confident in the doctor that is doing the surgery and feel totally at ease with him, so that's a plus. I'm sure it will all turn out fine, but since I'm a perpetual worrier I'm sure to worry about this too. At least I'm aware of it and admit it freely. Isn't that the first step to recovery? I'm working on it...

On the plus side, by the time I go through a day of fluids only, surgery day, and a few days of a very light diet, I should be well into the 140's. That might be incentive enough to smile my way through the next week! Okay, so it's not the easiest or most painless route of weight-loss, but I am seeing it in a positive light at least. That takes a little of the worry out of it. The pros are out-weighing the cons at the moment! :)