Happy Birthday Glynn!

My gorgeous hubby turns the big four-oh today. I think it's hitting him kinda hard. This morning he told me that he just wants this day to go away.

Rubbish.

We're going to celebrate, and we're gonna do it RIGHT. I can't divulge any of the details of the day that I have planned in case he reads this, but it's safe to say that he'll be having fun today.

After all, 40 is the new 30, and Glynn acts like an 17-year-old most of the time anyway, so that makes him....let's see......about 12? I don't know, I'm no good at math.

Young at heart is all that matters.


And life begins when you're happy, anyway.

So here's to you, honey! *raises coffee cup in toast* May your next 40 be even better. Can you imagine us on that birthday? I bet we'll still be off-roading in our Jeeps.

I love you!

Poor lil' Maddie. This just broke my heart.

Last night, Maddie woke up screaming and shaking from some TERRIBLE nightmare. She was absolutely inconsolable, the poor baby. She was pale as a ghost and couldn't stop trembling. She kept crying and saying, "I want Brady! I want Brady!" Oh my God. That poor little girl had a bad dream about her brother and wanted to make sure he was okay. They love each other so much.

So we brought her downstairs and she snuggled on the couch with us and Brady. We all slept together last night. It was really special, actually. But I could have just cried my heart out for her. I kills me to see my babies upset.

But she woke up this morning in a GREAT mood. She was climbing all over me, demanding milk and string cheese and clothes. That's my girl. Always concerned with fashion.

Crisis solved.

Moving onto another one: remember how I am now obsessed with this Gems TV network? Well, my rings came two days ago and they are GORGEOUS. Even BETTER than on TV. You think this is gonna help me STOP shopping? Think again, folks. Think again.

Glynn has no idea what this convalescent leave is gonna cost him. I have 24 hour access to this channel and an open account with these people. He's so screwed. Poor guy. We all have our thing, right? And before you tell me, But Jodie, I thought your thing was shoes and handbags,
consider this: there's no RULE to how MANY obsessions I can have.

Just look at Glynn: let's list HIS obsessions, shall we? 1)fantasy football 2)Car shows
3)vintage Mustangs 4)Jeeps Jeeps JEEPs 5)killing innocent animals aka hunting 6)lifting ridiculous amounts of weight in the basement 7)any kind of sport that's on T.V. PERIOD 8)boats boats BOATS 9)80's hair bands 10) oh, and of course: any kind of power tool known to mankind (although I suspect this is universally a male thing, just look at my dad)

So there.

We all have our things. Mine just happen to be more expensive than most.

Good thing I plan on us being rich someday. :)

I stayed in bed all day!

No joke.

I got up at 5:30 to help get the kids ready and then I went back to bed. I slept like the dead....you know, pain medication knocks you out. I woke up at 11:30 to Daisy barking. Glynn had sent me flowers! How sweet is he. He knows I'm feeling crappy and down in the dumps and he sent me my favorite happy flowers--daisies. They just look like they're smiling. And they cheered me up. Immensely.

I stayed on the couch for a few hours before I decided that a bubble bath was in order. Then I got extremely nauseous and went back to bed.

Now I'm up and making dinner.

Very productive day, no?

Hey, at least I'm REALLY resting this time. No one can argue with THAT.

I tried, really I did!

I couldn't get back to sleep this morning after I helped get the kiddos off to school.

I just hurt, and couldn't get comfortable. And realized I might as well get up and make my "nest" for the day. I'm glad I did, I'm much more comfortable out here on the couch. I took over Brady's corner, and I'm only gonna move from this spot to pee. It took me forever to get my spot ready and comfortable, but now I'm firmly rooted and not moving. I must have looked like a dog that spins in circles before they lie down.

I had to make coffee, get pillows, move my books, magazines, knitting, and remote controls. Oh, and my phone and laptop. Then get the blanky, then get Daisy's blanket (yes, she keeps my feet warm on these days, shhh.... don't tell Glynn!) Then find something to eat, and my bottle of water, and pour my coffee. I finally got settled, turned on the news, and began my day of rest.

And the funny thing is, not one time during all of these preparations did the thought cross my mind, God, I'm really high maintenance! Not once. I think I've just accepted it. I kinda do feel sorry for Glynn, though. He's really patient with me. I don't thank him enough.

Moving on.....is anyone else freaked out about this swine flu thing? I kinda want to put plastic on all the windows and quarantine my family. I tend to be a bit more dramatic than the average bear and overreact just slightly, though. Again, this is your cue to interject. No, really? I never noticed! Add to this the fact that Maddie and Brady are both snot monsters lately and I'm a little more concerned. AND that there have been 2 cases in Kansas confirmed. Dang. I watch too much TV.

I am really really really going to rest this time, I swear. I think I realized it this morning when I was lying in bed, trying to go back to sleep and I couldn't because I hurt so badly. I can't live like this forever. Glynn's been really good at keeping up with the housework and kids. He's currently fighting the laundry pile and yesterday he even vacuumed the dining room! AND helped give the kids a bath. So I've got good help. And I'm going to put Megan to work too. I've got to just let other people do things for me. It's hard for me, but I'm going to do it.

Okay, I'm going to go back to obsessing over the swine flu now. While sitting down and resting. Don't worry, I'm going to follow doctor's orders this time. I swear.

Prepare yourself: warm fuzzies ahead!

So, as you all know, Brady is now officially a couch-dweller, at least until we have a chance to get him a big boy bed. I realize this means I failed as a mother when it comes to getting him to sleep in his crib but I'll get over it.

Anyway, on to my story:

Last night, I was completely wiped out. Just freaking exhausted. I went to bed around 9:00. Brady had been asleep in his "bed" aka couch corner for about an hour. I fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow. Sometime after that, Glynn came to bed but I have no idea when. I slept like the dead last night.

Around 5:00 this morning, I woke up, went to the bathroom and came back to bed. My foot hit something solid as I started to climb back into bed.

It was Brady. Asleep on the floor next to our bed.

Again, I'll wait for the collective round of "Awwwwwww"s to die down before I continue.

Ready? Okay.

At some point last night, that little guy decided he wanted to be closer to Mommy and Daddy and got up, padded into our bedroom, and snuggled up next to our bed. He didn't even wake us up! He just decided that close was good enough.

How freaking cute is that? He is the best kid. Ever. No doubt about it.

I do believe, if you ask my Mom, that I did something similar to this when I was a toddler. I think I fell asleep outside their room or something. How history repeats itself, no?

They also both climbed in the toybox today and I got some really cute pictures. (See above) Somewhere, there is an exact replica of that picture of me and my brother in our toybox when we were about the same ages. Isn't that funny? I guess it's just a kid thing, huh?

It's a horrible rainy day today (again) so we'll be spending lots of time in our jammies and snuggling on the couch. Or making some rainy-day art projects. And there will most definitely be a Spencer Family Nap. Oh yes, that is absolutely on the books for today.

Hope everyone else has a great Sunday!

I got put back in the penalty box. Oops.

So I saw my surgeon again today for another follow up. Apparently my definition of rest is not the same as his. He told me today that what I considered resting was like a normal day for anyone else.


Um.



Oops.



What can I say, I'm Ruthie all over again.


But this is most likely the reason I'm still having so much pain. So he put me in a glorified version of time out: more convalescent leave. Two more WEEKS of convalescent leave. In which I am to do absolutely NO lifting and basically stop being so JODIE. You know, cooking, cleaning, anal retentive Jodie? That girl's got to GO. For two weeks anyway. I really did try the first time around but it is SO hard for me to sit still. Especially when there's always something to clean or organize or wipe up. For God's sake, I have children.

I just have to learn to let go and let someone else take care of that stuff. Or deal with the fact that things will get dirty and disorganized and I'll take care of it later. I'm gonna have to drug myself heavily to let that go.

Glynn is doing the happy dance that someone else told me exactly what he's been trying to tell me for the past 2 weeks. Slow down! For God's sake, you just had SURGERY!

Also, Dr. Kamdar said that since I was in pain for such a long period PRIOR to surgery, that it will likely take me longer than the average bear to heal and be completely out of pain. Which makes sense. Damnit.

Okay, so here it goes. My attempt to just let things go. And not nag Glynn too much. If he can just keep the kids fed, bathed, and happy, I'll let the housework go by the wayside. Or start really bugging Megan. :-D

You know, there are a lot of people who would love it if they had doctor's orders to sit on their asses all day long. I must be weird. This is torture for me.

But on the other hand, it will be nice to have the house all to myself and be able to relax during the day in the comfort of my own home. It's kinda nice to be able to hang out in your jammies all day. And enjoy the quiet and privacy.

Maybe I'll be able to do this after all.


Here's hopin'.

Some people should be SHOT.

My bad day just got worse.

I've been involved in this child neglect case at work for the past few months, and it reared its ugly head again today.

Bottom line: If you're not going to take care of your kids, DON'T HAVE ANY.

I will happily help find a new home for your children. One with loving,mature, caring adults who will meet your child's BASIC NEEDS (you know, food, clothing, shelter,medical care?) and then some.

I have absolutely ZERO patience for people who don't take care of their children, when given the opportuniteS (yes, that's right, plural) and resources to do so. And you know the ones to suffer: the children. The poor, innocent children who can't make their own decisions and are left to the devices of their stupid, selfish parents.

I was on the phone with family advocacy and subsequently DCFS this afternoon for about an hour. I can't go into the specifics of course, but there is a small child who is SUFFERING because his parents are assholes, to sum it up. My professional recommendation was that the child be removed from the home so his medical needs could be met. Yes, to remove him from the home. It breaks my heart to even say those words. But I can't believe someone would willingly allow their child to suffer.

It never gets any easier to deal with, no matter how many times I see it. I lose sleep over this stuff. I'd take the kid home myself if I could.

And my bad mood continues.......


Forgive me, people. It's been a day. Praying for resolution of this situation as soon as humanly possible. And for me to be able to let things go a little better.

Even the bathtub didn't help tonight.

Shouldn't I be feeling better by now?

By nighttime, I just ache. And then I have trouble sleeping. I'll have maxed out my daily dosage of pain medication (which, ironically, should make me sleepy....one would think) but I'll still hurt.

And then I lie there. Aching. And tossing, and turning, and trying to get in a comfortable position.

Last night, Glynn was wiped out. Exhausted. Poor guy. He fell asleep on the couch and I poked him and told him to go to bed and get some sleep. He almost ran for the bedroom. I heard snoring about 2.5 seconds later. He's been working out really hard every day and having long days at work too, I think. Anyway, I'm glad he's getting some sleep because he was having a bout of insomnia for a while a few weeks ago.

I stayed out on the couch, watching T.V. and trying to get sleepy. At some point, I fell asleep (I have no idea what time it was, it must have been a couple of hours at least after Glynn went to bed) and must have turned off the T.V. but I don't remember it. I woke up to Glynn poking me in the forehead this morning and realized I'd never made it to bed last night.

On the cuter side, Brady was right next to me, sleeping soundly, with his face all scrunched up and his butt in the air. (Okay, that made me smile to think about, cute little dude).

I don't know. I think I'm getting a bit depressed because I feel so yucky, I'm grossly overweight and the weather sucks. I'm having one of those days, I guess. And NOW I'm tired, but I'm at work and it does me no good. And I'm on my 3rd cup of coffee. I'm in a mood and I can't shake it. And I'm super hungry today, which pisses me off because I can't lose weight if I'm always EATING. UGH!!!

I just need to vent today, I guess, and what better place to do that than online where anyone can read it, right? Although there are a few topics I will never post about here, and only Glynn knows about. I'll vent to him later about those or write in my private journal. Or take another really long bubble bath. One of those topics has me in such a funk I can hardly stand it, and don't know what to do about it.

Okay, this is depressing me more, and probably anyone who reads it so I'm gonna get back to work now.

Yucky teeth are calling.

Oh crap.

I have a new obsession. Like I need any more, right?

I have discovered something BETTER than the home shopping network. It's Gem T.V. They have auction-like "games" with jewelry every 2 minutes. You watch the prices plummet, people! And call in or bid online right before the time runs out to get clearance prices! 80% off! Real quality gemstones and gold! Holy crap, I can't stop talking without exclamation points!

I'm hooked.


Confession time: I bought 3 rings last night. They're GORGEOUS. At least online, they are.

All for the low low price of.....wait, I'm not gonna tell you that. Let's just say I got a real deal, baby.

I'm also the proud owner of a rotato peeler, a magic bullet blender, and a ped-egg.


Hey, at least I haven't bought a Snuggie yet.


But now you know what you're getting for Christmas.

Enough already!

This is the name of the weight loss challenge I have joined with some of my online WW buddies. It starts today. Where we are being accountable and listing our daily menus, getting in our exercise daily, and generally being there for each other. It's a bunch of women who have fallen off the wagon recently and need to get back on badly.


So here we go! This morning, so far, I've had a Slim-fast (still easier than chewing) and a cup of coffee (black). And a percocet. (Yes, mornings still suck. Hard.)

I'm gonna try to get on the treadmill here at work for some slooooow walking (no incline per doctor's orders) but moving helps. I think.

Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it. It's hard to be motivated when you feel like something the cat dragged in, threw up, and then scooted over.

On that note, have a happy Tuesday!

My kids love biscotti! Who knew?

Okay, so in a fit of rainy day boredom, I decided to make some biscotti for work tomorrow. The kids gobbled it up! Even without coffee to dunk it! Who knew? So here you go, my slightly pirated recipe, I stole it (partially) from Rocco DiSpirito and modified it so now it's just a Jodie recipe:

Jodie's Chocolate Chip Biscotti:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups flour (I use whole wheat but all-purpose is fine, carb lovers!)
1 tbsp baking powder
Chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper (I recommend parchment paper, easier clean up and no added oil!) Beat oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Combine flour and baking powder, stir into egg mixture to make a heavy dough. Add chocolate chips (I estimated about 3/4 cup, but add as many or as few as you like) and work into dough with hands. Divide dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as cookie sheet. Place on sheet and flatten until 1/2 inch thickness. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on wire rack until able to handle. Slice into 1/2 inch slices(cut on angle), place cut-side upon cookie sheet and bake for 6-10 minutes on each side until lightly toasted. Cool completely. Melt and drizzle with both white and milk or dark chocolate for a pretty finish and added chocolate kick!

Serve with coffee, espresso, or lattes (my favorite!) Store in airtight container.


Yes, I'm domestic. I'm actually wearing an apron right now. Granted, it has rhinestones and says "Queen of Everything" but it's an apron nonetheless.

Just call me June Cleaver. Seriously, I DO vacuum in heels. Big surprise there, too, huh? That probably has more to do with my shoe addiction than my domesticity, but still. Give a girl some credit.

Happy Sunday!

Rainy,cold, nap-ish day.

I guess Mom sent me the weather from Maryville. It's yucky today so I guess we'll all be cooped up inside again. This means one of two things: I will either a) be a frenzied whirlwind of housecleaning efficiency or b) nap on the couch all day.


I'm leaning towards option b).


Although Brady just went up to his daddy and told him, "Daddy, I work on the boat." Which means he wants to go out in the garage and do some kind of manly project that involves tools. Those two have been attached at the hip lately, it's awesome. Ever since I've had surgery and Glynn's had to be up with Brady, they've developed an even stronger bond and now are just best buddies. Brady adores his daddy and wants to be just like him. I love it. Glynn's so proud of that little guy.


Glynn hung up the kids swings yesterday and they LOVE them. It started raining when we were outside so we had to cut our swinging short, and Brady was so upset. "I swiiiiiiing! I swiiiiing!" It took a sugar-free popsicle to console him. Yes, I bribe. Doesn't every mom?


Maddie and Brady just bunny-hopped by me. "Look Mommy! I'm jumping!" They are wound UP this morning. Wow.

Glynn's going to try to beat the blue-hairs to the grocery store so I have to go make a very detailed list. This could take awhile.

Diggin' in the dirt....

That's what I did today. We finally got our deck cleaned up and organized for the spring, and I was able to plant my "vegetable garden" in the planters on the deck. Right now it just looks like some nicely arranged pots of dirt but just wait! Until I kill it all, let's pretend that I'm gonna actually have some success with this. Humor me, people.

Maddie and Brady had a lot of fun helping me sweep the deck off too. In addition to spilling bubbles and breaking a couple of my little plaster frogs. Brady is such a little brute! He is truly a bull in a china shop, everything he touches turns to dust.

We all just got up from a well-needed Spencer Family Nap, it was wonderful. I'm still wearing out really easily these days. I suppose that's normal for a little while too.

Glynn's about ready to hang some swings for the kids. It's a "surprise" that Maddie cannot wait for. I told her that after she got up from her nap, Daddy had a special surprise for her, and that's the first thing she did when she got up. She came down the stairs and ran into the bedroom, waking Glynn up by saying, "Did you have a nice nap, Daddy? Where's my surprise?"

I suppose I'd better help. This might involve power tools and I'll have to supervise. I need him to keep all of his fingers.

This DOES count as weight loss, right?

The tooth is out, it had to weigh SOMETHING.


Thanks to the miracles of I.V. sedation, I felt nothing and remember nothing. That's the way to go, people. Really.


Off I go to get some non-fat frozen yogurt for dinner. And some sugar-free popsicles for the kids. And a treat for Glynn, too, for putting up with me.


I think I'm already trying his patience. :( Oops.

The LAST (hopefully) surgery I'll ever have...

is scheduled for today at 1:00. I'm going to get that cracked tooth taken out. Finally. I've been holding off until the hernia surgery was over but I had my follow-up this morning and it's all systems go for tooth liberation!


Under intense I.V. sedation, of course. I'm a bigger wussy than the average bear and I have friends in high places with the good drugs. No WAY am I gonna be awake for this. Uh-uh. Nope. Not gonna happen.


I guess it won't be the LAST surgery, technically, because in a few months they have to go back in and place an implant but that shouldn't be as bad. But I'll be sedated for that too, mark my words. Hey, that's what God invented Versed FOR, people. Wussies like me.


Please pray for Glynn (not me) that he makes it through this okay. I can be kind of a troll (attitude, not smell, thank you very much) when I'm not feeling good. (psst...this is where you interject with a Really, Jodie? I never noticed! You're all sweetness and light ALL the time! I can't imagine you being unpleasant!)

On the plus side, this means I get ice cream for dinner.


Oh, one other update for the family....I FINALLY have a functional cell phone, you all have the number if you need to reach me. Glynn upgraded me to an IPhone with a pink case that I promptly blinged out with stick-on rhinestones. To match my fingernails. (I KNOW I'm an 11-year old at heart, let go of it already).


I'm currently sitting in my office while Glynn does my job. I still technically on convalescent leave and I intend to milk it for as long as I can.

Expect more updates later....after Glynn runs screaming from the house in complete frustration. Really, he should be canonized for putting up with me.

Check out THIS little lady killer....

Hey baby. How YOU doin'?

This was just too cute of a picture to keep to myself. He looks like he's giving some cute girl the eye, doesn't he? Oh, I'm in trouble with this one. BIG trouble.

Shirley left this morning to go back to Steve. I'm gonna miss her too! The kids have grown so used to having a grandma around that they won't know what to do. And Megan will be lost too. I'll have to cheer them all up!

It's been really nice to have the extra help but I feel like I'm ready to take over now. Look out, family, Momma's back! Finally! Glynn will be glad, it's time for him to get some sleep.

Easter fun! Time for some pictures (FINALLY)

Okay, so these pictures posted a little backward than how I had intended, but it takes so f-ing long to upload them that I'll just deal with it.

We had a great Easter! The kids woke up to baskets filled with fun little goodies and each of them had a big stuffed bunny. (Pink and blue, natch.) They were thrilled! Except Maddie kept calling it her "Christmas basket". Oops. If THAT's not a sign that we need to get back to church, I don't know what is. For all y'all that think I'm a heathen, I DID sit down and read the Easter story to the kids (no bunnies in sight, thank you very much) and tried to talk to them about what Easter was really about. I can't wait to get back to church on a routine basis and hopefully get them in Sunday school at least. We are definitely looking for a Catholic school in Lee's Summit, by the way, but I digress. Back to more secular manners:

We had an egg hunt in the backyard after naptime, and the kids LOVED it. The only ones they had been to before were these mass chaos-filled events put on by the Yokosuka base MWR....you know, THOUSANDS of kids on a wicked sugar high, running and pushing and screaming their way across a egg-filled football field? Nothing wrong with it, but I loved having a private family-only affair. I'm so glad we have a house with a great backyard.

On that note, you're probably wondering about the sandbox. Glynn and I had bought that sandbox for the kids two YEARS ago in Japan, but could never get any sand to fill it with over there. So it moved to Illinois with us. Thank God it did, because we found this cool purple non-toxic, dustless sand at Menard's to fill it with. It sparkles and EVERYTHING (Maddie is thrilled, especially, with the "sparkles"). So we made sure that was ready for their egg hunt as the grand finale. They LOVE it. What kid doesn't love a sandbox? Glynn has fashioned a tarp cover so the neighborhood cats don't leave any surprises for the kids as well. That ain't no Easter egg, honey!

Look how much they love their bunnies. Brady, in particular, is a big snuggly guy and loves any kind of stuffed animal. He actually curled up on this big 'ole bunny yesterday and took a nap on him (and me, see power-tool freak-out below).


I had to get the big bunnies to replace the little ones they found in my closet the day before. (Again, see below). We let the kids paint some eggs that night. It was so much fun, but such a mess. Who cares. As long as they're having a good time, I'm happy.

We finished the day with my famous ham-and-beans for dinner (my version of an Easter ham -- didn't really feel like making a huge feast). The kids got to eat leftover chicken noodles (the ham was too spicy for them) and green beans. They ate pretty well last night! They go on streaks where they eat almost nothing and then all of the sudden clean their plates. I don't know. I know they'll eat when they're hungry, so I try not to freak out about it too much.

That's about all the deep thoughts I have for today. I'm hurting quite a bit today, so I plan on resting more. I think Megan and Shirley are going to go out shopping or to a movie or something. Shirley leaves tomorrow, so Megan is soaking up all the mommy time she can get, she even got out of work today so she'd better take advantage of it! I may post more later if I get bored but for now, my chair is calling me.

Lesson: Do NOT fall asleep while your husband has the power tools out

I was snuggling with Brady on the couch this afternoon and we both fell into a nice deep sleep. Spencer family nap. Awesome.


Some time later, I was jarred awake by a horrible high-pitched screeching, drilling-ish noise. The source? Picture Glynn, on the deck, wearing safety glasses and a mask (hey, give him points for that, at least) attempting to saw the old grill into pieces.


I'll repeat that.


He was sawing the old grill into pieces. With his new power saw.


The reason?


"We need to throw it out and it won't fit in the trashcan."


Any excuse to use a power tool, ladies. Any excuse.


I think I'll have to file this post eventually under the subtitle, "Shit Glynn doesn't want you to read."


If you're reading this and have had a similar experience with your husband, I welcome the comments. Let me know we're in this together, wives.


Please.

Hi Erica!

Knew you couldn't resist.


*smooches*



Love ya!!!

I got out of the house!

It was time, I was starting to feel all prisoner-ish. I conned Megan and Shirley into taking me out of the house yesterday. We went and got our nails done and had lunch. It was a lot of fun! And I can get around pretty well by now, just not as fast as I am used to.


Anyway, I successfully managed to get things for the kids' Easter baskets, only to have them BOTH find their way into my closet and squeal with delight at all of the hidden goodies.

Needless to say, Glynn and I had to make an additional Wal-Mart run today to get "surprise" Easter treats. Oh well. I'm far from a perfect mother, and I was cooping Brady up in the bathroom with me during my shower (in a successful attempt to keep him away from my makeup vanity) only to forget what I had hidden in the closet. I was in the shower, all shampooed and soaped up, when I heard a, "Look Mommy! Bunnies!"


Oops.


So anyway. Here I am, updating y'all of my exhilarating existence. Glynn's napping (poor guy is missing a LOT of sleep taking care of everything around here) and Megan and Shirley are shopping and going out to dinner and doing girl stuff. I'm boiling eggs so the kids and I can dye them in a bit and just started a load of laundry.


I know. Exhilarating. Jealous?


For an added twist, I'm going to hang up pictures too! All while doped up on Benadryl. I've got a wicked rash from surgery. My body didn't like the surgical scrub. I look like a leper. And I scratch like a dog.


Again. Jealous?


I don't care. I'm home with my family and that's all that matters. And I'm doing much better than I expected to after surgery.


Tomorrow we're going to have an egg hunt in the backyard so I'd better get to stuffing eggs sometime soon too. Having kids makes everything better. I don't know if we'll get to go to church yet since Brady INSISTS that I hold him throughout the ENTIRE service. So we've made a pact to get back to regular services as soon as I heal more. We've been missing our Sunday mornings together. It used to be the highlight of our week, but it's been lacking lately. Life gets so busy, I know that's no excuse but we really don't have one.


So that's our vow to each other and God. Get back to church on a routine basis. I know it will be good for us and our family.

That's all the deep thoughts I have for today.

Time to get out of the house!

Shirley and I are going to get out for a bit today. I think we're gonna treat ourselves to manicures and pedicures later this morning. I'm going crazy sitting around the house and I'm feeling pretty good. Enough to move a little more.

Then we've got to pick up some Easter eggs for the kids. We're going to have an egg hunt for them in the backyard on Sunday, they'll love it. And this will be so much better than the free-for-all mass chaos that was last year on Yokosuka Naval Base. They had fun, but it was madness.

That's about it for plans for today. I think that's enough. I'm sure I'll be tired afterwards but I need to MOVE a little more! I'm really feeling much better than I thought I would and getting around much better than I had anticipated.

My friend Melanie (the reflexologist) has been coming over to work on me as well, I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. I know you doubters out there don't believe it, but there really is something to her profession. My sinus congestion has cleared up and the pain has really minimized in the two days she's been working on me. She's studied for years and really knows her stuff. Just by finding the right pressure points on my feet and ankles, she's done wonders for me already! She's coming over again tomorrow to do another treatment. It's nice to have such good friends.

I need to get in the shower and get ready to go, but I'll try to post more later. My camera is not working right now for some reason so the pictures may be a long time coming, but I'll try to get it to a shop for repairs soon.


Have a great day! Happy Friday!

Post-op day 2!

It was a rough night last night. Glynn was so sweet to keep bringing me pain medication on schedule, but I had some breakthrough pain that I just tried to sleep through. All in all, though, I gotta say, this is much easier than a C-section. It helps so much that it's just on one side as opposed to all the way across my belly.


I took the dressing off this morning and had my first shower. THAT felt good. I was getting pretty funky. :)


Mom has to go home today. :( I'm so sad! I wish she could stay longer but Dad needs her back. She's in high demand everywhere. Mom and Dad are a solid unit, their marriage is an inspiration and a guide to Glynn and I. They are almost never apart and miss each other when they are. It's awesome. You don't see that many marriages these days that are like that, especially after 39 years. Mom and Dad, you're the best!


Shirley gets in tonight though, so that's a relief. I'm doing well, but there's still SO many things I can't do yet. I'm looking forward to having her here.

Mom and I are watching the news and it's depressing, so I'm gonna have to make her turn the channel pretty soon. I'm glad I've got job security right now. That's all about to change here in 17 months. (Or is it 16 months and 22 days? Glynn has the count down to the MINUTE). As soon as I recover fully, it's time to put the pedal to the metal and get going on this practice stuff. First decision? Find a location. Decide if we're going to lease out an existing space (hopefully a single building--I don't share well with others) or build from the ground up. I'm very excited but shitting-bricks nervous, too.

Wow, I'm pretty boring this morning. Give me some more time to wake up, suck down some more coffee, and watch Oprah. I'm sure SOMETHING on there will get me fired up enough to be more entertaining.

Ouch.

I'm hoooome! Surgery is over and it was very successful. My surgeon is wonderful. The surgery lasted just over an hour and he said that it was straightforward and uncomplicated. He said that there was definitely a hernia and he repaired it easily, found the nerve right away and severed it.


So. Glad. It's. Over.


I'm in a considerable amount of pain, but knowing that this is transient is SUCH a relief. But I'm doing well, considering. I'm getting up and down much more easily than I did after my C-section and the pain medication is working well. The hardest part is not being able to pick up my babies when they want me to.


My stay in the hospital last night was interesting, to say the least. I should have a T-shirt printed, "I survived a stay in the VA Hospital". God. It is SOOOOOO much different than a Navy hospital. This is NOT a good thing. The nursing care in general was abysmal and resulted in me having a meeting with the patient care advocate and the nursing supervisor. It's too long of a story for me to go into right now, but let me tell you this: the straw that broke the camel's back was being DENIED pain medication on schedule. Being told that "you already had such-and-such and that should be enough". WTF?


Anyway, after a conference with the nursing supervisor and a shot of Dilaudid in my ass, all is well.


I'm home now and in the care of Glynn, Mom, and Megan. The kids are great, I missed them so much! Brady just doesn't understand why I can't pick him up right now and it breaks my heart. Maddie keeps wanting to climb on me and we have to remind her that Mommy has a boo-boo and she can't do that.

Mom goes home tomorrow and I'm going to miss her so much! It's been great having her here. There's nothing quite like having Mom around when you're in pain.


Shirley comes in tomorrow so Mom will be passing the torch to her. I'm glad to have all the help I can get right now. Mom's got the house so deep-cleaned that the only thing to do in that respect is keep up with the laundry and daily cleaning, and help feed and bathe the babies.

Speaking of babies, Glynn and Brady are out doing some "guy shopping" right now. They're picking out a mower. It's so cute. Glynn loves having a little guy to do all of the dude errands with. He told me that last night they watched basketball together. I love it. Glynn and his little mini-me.


It's time for me to go sit with an ice pack so I'll update more tomorrow. Thanks to everybody for your prayers and good wishes. It always helps!


More Percocet-induced deep thoughts to come...... stay tuned, folks, it's gonna get interesting around here.

Thank God for Grandma

Mom got here yesterday morning and she has been going nonstop ever since. The house is cleaner than it has been since we moved in, the kids are happy, and we're all caught up on projects that have been put on hold for months. All of this in just over 24 hours.


How does she do it? She has endless energy and patience. I hope that's something I will be genetically gifted with as I get older. We'll see.

Yesterday, we made some meals and froze them, got some grocery shopping done, and worked on laundry and housecleaning.

Today, we made about 15 GALLONS of taco soup to freeze, and finished the laundry and housecleaning. There's not much left to do now but just enjoy each other before my surgery tomorrow morning! And that's really nice.


Glynn is in the garage right now, installing the lift for the Jeep top. He gets time to do his projects too, when Grandma's here, because I'm not constantly nagging him for help around the house. She better be careful or we're gonna keep her for good. And fly Grandpa out here too, of course. Maddie in particular is a little confused about why Grandma's here but Grandpa isn't. She's Grandpa's little girl, so she misses him a lot. Dad calls her Sugar Bear the Second, since she's my little mini-me.


I'm relieved about surgery tomorrow morning but I'm getting a little nervous too. It's just natural, but it's causing me to be a little snippy, so sorry family! I love you, but I'm a little on edge right now. It will be better later, I promise.


Mom and Megan are insisting that Glynn and I have a date night tonight since it will be awhile before I feel good enough to go anywhere or do anything. I can't think of a better way to spend the evening, so I'm excited about that.


This will most likely be my last post before going under the knife, but I'll let you know how things went in a couple of days. Expect lots of curse words and drugged-out observations.

Prayers are appreciated!

Sicko Spencers!

Glynn has officially turned into the Snot Monster. Poor baby. He's got a raging sinus infection and the snot to prove it. It takes a lot to get him down, but when he asked me to put in a prescription for him, I knew it was serious. He's kinda got that stuffy-nosed voice right now that makes him sound like Brady. I love it. It's really cute. Now I get to take care of him for once.

The kids, surprisingly, have not caught whatever it is that Glynn has. I started off with a really sore throat a few days ago and it has not progressed to Snot Monster status (yet), which I am very thankful for. If I get congested at ALL, there is the potential for my surgery on Monday to be cancelled for anesthetic concerns. Please please PLEASE send some prayers that I stay healthy enough to have this surgery and that Glynn gets to feeling better!

Moving on.....


Most of you know that I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with Hollywood gossip. Hey, everyone's gotta have their thing, right? So I was checking out one of my favorite websites this morning, and it's got a normal Hollywood mom featured in the blog entry today. One with mussed-up hair and ripped underwear, who lets her kid get messy when she eats ice cream. And doesn't have an army of nannies to take care of her kiddos. Check it out: www.mamarazzi.org It's a bunch of snarky moms that post on the state of Hollywood celebs on a daily basis. I love it. It's nice to know that even the multi-millionaires of the world can't keep their kids from painting with ice cream. (Ahem, like a little boy I know who considers yogurt just another art medium).


Speaking of moms, mine will be here on Saturday! I'm so excited, and the kids can't wait either. Somehow, no matter how old you get, you always want your mom around when you're sick. There's nothing quite like it, and it always makes you feel better. Now I'm not gonna curl up in her LAP or anything, but just having her there puts me more at ease. I know the kids and the house are in good hands and I'll have good company while I recuperate. You reach a certain age when your mom becomes cool again. I think it's around 19 or so. Or whenever you move out of the house. When she becomes a trusted advisor and friend instead of the person who made you come home at a certain time and keep your room clean. And the one you can call when you forgot the secret ingredient to the meatloaf you're making. Or to give you hometown gossip.

And then when you have KIDS, she becomes the coolest grandma in the world. And the bond between mom and daughter evolves again. It's awesome. I'm gushing over my mom because I'm so lucky to have had her teach me how to be the person I am today. I joke about turning into her more and more every day, but the truth is, that's a great place to be. And I'm lucky enough that my hubby thinks so too. It's great when your husband loves your mom and dad. And vice versa. Great in-laws are hard to come by (trust me on this one, people) and I think that if you're lucky enough to have them, it means you're with the right person. Because you wouldn't want your husband to come from bad stock, know what I mean? Or have the potential to turn into someone you don't like.


I don't know why I'm so mushy this morning, but just deal with it. Hormones get the best of me sometimes. So the point is: Mom and Dad, Steve and Shirley, I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Parents are the greatest things in the world when you have good ones.


That's enough mushiness for one year. My random thoughts for the day are now complete. I'm happy to have entertained you all.