Booger time!

It's Sunday morning, Glynn and I are hobbling around like old people. We've developed aches and pains and wake up all creaky. Ugh. When did we get so OLD?

Anyway, Brady keeps telling me,

"I got booger, Mommy! It's in my nose!" So I hold the Kleenex, he blows, and then two minutes later comes back over, "I got booger again, Mommy!"

That kid is so booger-sensitive. Who knew.

Anyway, ahhh, the joys of parenthood. It's a booger-picking Sunday here at the Spencer household. At least it's better than the times he holds out his finger to me and says, "I got a booger, Mommy!" and I have to wipe it off.

Now, in case I haven't TOTALLY grossed you out, onto the next subject.

We've taken the kids to the marina everyday for the last few days, keep looking for our boat that was supposed to be put in a WEEK ago, and it's not in the water yet. Today we're gonna have to finally talk to somebody. Yesterday, Glynn told me to go in and ask them. Of course I told him to do it himself and he responded with, "But you're so cute! They'll listen to you!" I have to admit the man has a point. :) Anyway, they were closed so there was no hair-twirling on my part to get our damn boat in the water. It's tough to be so charming all the time.

But somebody's got to do it.


Today we're going to the marina to release Chompers, the SECOND baby snapping turtle we've found in our backyard. He's been living in a bucket in our kitchen for a few weeks. He eats green beans and hot dogs. Seriously. Like we need another pet.

Glynn has just finished his glorious pancakes and the troops are restless, so I'd better get going.


Before I have to pick pancakes out of Brady's nose.

I have no deep thoughts. None. Nada. Zip.

I'm just awake. Wide-freaking-awake. My body finally got on Hawaii time just in time for us to get back home. It's amazing.

But, you all get the benefit of my insomnia. Lucky you. I'm currently watching Sex and the City reruns on TBS. No good. They've cut out all the bad language. And you know, as a sailor (kind of), I gotta have my curse words.

Brady just woke up for a minute, sat up, looked at me, and fell back down with his big stuffed bunny. He's snoring again. Just like his daddy. It's so sweet.

We are going to order his big boy bed soon. It's amazing to me, how differently we had Maddie and Brady trained with bedtime routines. In our defense, it's not like we had much of a choice. The whole reason Brady is a couch-dweller currently is this:

In Japan, Maddie and Brady had to share a room. For the first nine months, I nursed Brady and we kept him in our room in a bassinet so it would be easier to get to him for nighttime feedings. (We did the same with Maddie). Here's where it differs:

When Maddie started sleeping through the night, we moved her to her own room, in her crib. If she woke up, I'd go in, nurse her, and put her back in her bed. Easy, right?

With Brady, first of all, he NEVER slept through the night(still really doesn't) so it was impossible to put them in the same room, because he would wake HER up when he cried. So he ended up sleeping in our room until we moved from Japan. Or on the couch, where I would snuggle him until he went to sleep. I could never "Ferber-ize" the kids....I just can't stand to hear them cry. I tried, believe me, but Brady would get so upset when I left him that he would cry until he puked (again, waking Maddie up and getting her started crying). Plus, working full time with the second baby made me so tired that I just COULDN'T do it. Getting up at 4:30 in the morning was hard enough without having to work a full day on top of it. So, this is all my fault. I selfishly chose sleep.

When we moved back here, he had outgrown his crib and gotten so used to having all the extra space to roll around that he never could get used to his crib. So we realized that leaving him on the couch was his comfort space. He falls asleep quickly, has plenty of room to move, and is easily reachable if he wakes up. AND he doesn't wake up his sister.

Whatever. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you have to choose your battles as a parent. And I choose Brady's comfort and my sleep. So sue me. I don't even care.

BUT, we are going to buy him a big boy bed very soon....we found a Lightening McQueen car bed that he will LOVE and has plenty of space for him to roll around in. And enough space for me to cuddle with him if he wakes up. I can't wait. He's going to be so excited.

I think, if this is the worst thing I've done as a parent (not getting him to sleep in his crib), then I've done pretty good. I consider the things I've done well: my kids eat healthy, they love each other and us, they're sweet and happy, and they're both pretty smart. And Maddie's quite the singer and they both love to dance. Brady loves animals and Maddie's a great big sister.

And they have great teeth. Naturally. :-)

So that's my insomniac ramblings for tonight. Not very interesting,but gives me something to do rather than flip channels.

I think I'll snuggle with that sweet little boy now. If I can get past the big blue bunny, that is.

Enjoying some much needed baby time!

Okay, so I know they're not technically babies anymore, but they'll always be MY babies.

I've got the rest of the week off, so I'm keeping the babies home with me. It's yucky and cloudy and overcast, but not rainy, so if it stays dry, we're taking a wagon ride later. They LOVE going for walks in the wagon, Daisy trotting along side. We usually walk down to the lake and back (about a mile each way) and look at the geese and boats out on the lake. OUR boat is getting put in this week too, so as soon as we get the tags, we will be out there with them! We can't WAIT to get out on the water, the kids too. Brady and Maddie keep asking for their boat. "Where's my boat?" whenever we drive past the marina.

I could SO do this stay-at-home-mom stuff. I love it. But I guess I can't let 10 years of education go to waste, huh? That and Glynn's not about to let me take any time off during the first year or so of our practice, so I'd better enjoy it now. What a slavedriver. :-)

We've got some art projects planned for today and a great family nap. (I'm still jet-lagged....see Twitter updates). Poor Glynn had to go into work today AND has to weigh-in and do his bike test for the PRT. That sucks. But he's ready for it. He's been working out like a fiend, even in Hawaii, he'd get up early and be in the gym.

My segway back into vegetarianism is going well, I already feel better. Being a vegetarian, for me, is more about healthier food choices than just an avoidance of meat. (Even though that goes with the territory). It forces you to eat more organically, which I try to do anyway, but the meal planning is healthier, in general, and menu choices when going out to eat are on the lighter side, typically. I'm very thankful that my hubby is not picky and my kids are pretty good eaters who like the healthy stuff too. Last night, they gobbled up my whole-wheat Mediterranean pasta with organic veggies, and even scarfed down the salmon I had made on the side for them! They go through phases, but I'm happy to have good eaters for the most part.

I need to go make breakfast for babies and then we have a reading date in the corner "mommy" chair. I missed them so much. I love being a mommy.

Aloha! We're baaaaaack!

Hawaii was amazing.

We had an incredible time. We spent the majority of it in lounge chairs on the beach or by the pool, umbrella drinks in hand. No sunburns, no stress, just a much-needed getaway for us. We loved it. Seriously, it was the first vacation we've had where we actually relaxed. It was awesome. We took naps in lounge chairs, rented movies in our room at night, and generally just chilled. Walked along the beach in the evening, listened to bands by the poolside bar, ate LOTS of pineapple. Had champagne brunch with friends from Indy. It couldn't have been any better.

Glynn upgraded us to first class on the flight back, and I have to say, it's gonna be hard to fly coach from now on. There is just no comparison. Wow. We even sat right in front of one of the actors from Lost, Dean Norris. He's been in a ton of movies too, including Total Recall, Terminator, stuff like that. How cool! We're such big shits now.

I missed the kids more than I thought humanly possible, but we're back now, reunited with my little angels and happier than ever.

Megan has moved back home to finish school,and I'm so happy for her. I think she's just a bit excited, too, she and Shirley almost ran out the door as soon as we got home! They had a long drive ahead of them, so they had to get on the road.

Last night when we got home, we had missed the babies so much that we all decided to camp out in the living room as a family. We stayed up late and watched movies and had a great time. Big Spencer slumber party!

Also, back to real life. Work, diet, exercise. Ugh. But it had to happen sometime. You know what a week in Hawaii gets you, besides the ultimate blissed-out experience? A higher number on the scale than you would have though possible in such a short time. Oops.

Good thing is, now we're back, able to control our diet and exercise, and get back on the horse. I also think I am going to convert back to my vegetarianism for awhile. I remember I used to just FEEL better, not filled with animal fats all the time. So here we go. I'm still making meat for the family, just not me. Like tonight, for example. I made Jodie's famous Mediterranean Super Pasta (another original recipe,by me, thank you very much, available upon request ha,ha) and added some baked salmon for the kids and Glynn. Easy!

I took the rest of the week off to rest and catch up on laundry and such, but Glynn has to work tomorrow. I'll keep the kids home with me. I missed them so much I just want some extra time with them. Now that I'm not confined to bedrest anymore, I can keep them home and we can have fun.

Just gave the kids a bath and we're settling down for the evening. I miss the palm trees, but I'm glad to be home! What a trip. I'll never forget it.

Nana and Papaw have arrived! Aloooooo-ha!!

We leave for the islands tomorrow morning at 4:00. I know. Hellishly early. But soooooo worth it.

Although I can't WAIT until we get there, I'm still feeling guilty about not bringing the babies. I am going to miss them so much! I've never been away from them this long before, and I know that once we get there and start getting pictures and relaxing, we'll be okay. But the first 24 hours are gonna be tough for me. And Glynn knows it.

Which is why he will be even more understanding and sympathetic than normal, 'cause he'll be missing them too.

But this trip is exactly what we need. I can't wait to spend some good quality time with my hubby. Uninterrupted, quiet time with just the two of us. We're treating this as a second honeymoon. Which means NO spending time with people we don't have to. And the good thing is, most of our friends won't be at the meeting this year, so we won't feel obligated to carve out time for those people. We can just concentrate on us. Which is exactly what we want.

So I will probably be on a posting hiatus for a week or so. In which time I MAY twitter, but don't count on it. ;-)

So until then, Aloha!

I'm a WINNER!

Remember a few post ago when I got a call that I was a sweepstakes winner? And I had won a guaranteed prize and all I had to do to collect it was to listen to this travel company's presentation?

Well, yesterday, I dragged Glynn along to this thing. It was a hard-selling travel company wanting everyone to buy into their travel package thingy--kinda like a time-share but BETTER!


Did I buy?



HELL NO!!! I was able to walk out of there without getting sucked into this whole business. Me, the queen of infomercials and at-home shopping. I DID NOT BUY IT.

And I still got my prize.

We won a trip! To any number of destinations, like Vegas, Mexico (ummm, no thank you), Bahamas, etc! We have a year to use it and it's all-inclusive! I'm sure we'll have to sit through the same crappy presentation at our destination but hey, two hours of that and we can get back to our FREE vacation? I'm all for it!

So Glynn was so impressed that I didn't fall for it that we went out for a drink to celebrate, he bought a bottle of my favorite (and very expensive!) champagne, Dom Perignon. He's so sweet. He said that I was such a good girl for not spending that money that I deserved a treat. What a lovely husband I have, no? He's always surprising me like that. I'm a very very lucky woman.

So anyway, we spent some time celebrating my thriftiness last night by drinking champagne and eating strawberries before returning home to the most beautiful children in the world.

I am so blessed.


I am currently writing the "Maddie and Brady Survival Guide" for Shirley. It's sort of turning into a book. I really don't know why I'm doing it since Megan will be here but it's just easing my nerves about leaving them for so long. So humor me, people. I'm feeling guilty here.

Although I'm so so soooo excited about Hawaii! Just 3 short days until we're on a plane to paradise! I'm not gonna know what to do without lugging 3 tons of stuff around that is necessary when traveling with the kids. Starting to realize how I got that hernia in the first place. Hmmmm.

Don't know what the plans for today are, but I'm sure Glynn will want to tinker with the Jeeps and I'll probably run around with the kids in the backyard. It's a beautiful day.

Hope y'all enjoy yours as much as I will!

Hawaii, here we come!

We leave next Wednesday. I'm so so sooooooo freaking excited!

I plan to turn into a human slug. In a bathing suit. With a drink in my hand. And a big 'ole hat shading my face. (Gotta prevent those wrinkles even more now than ever!)

We will do a bit of conference stuff (we kinda HAVE to) but c'mon, we'll be in HAWAII. My guess is those lecture halls will be freaking EMPTY. Nobody's gonna wanna sit through a class when there's an island out there that needs exploring! And shopped, and snorkeled.

I'm starting to think about packing now. It's so strange to not pack for the kids :-( I'm gonna miss them so much! I keep catching myself thinking, "I better not forget their sunblock shirts, or their hats." or something like that, then I realize they're not coming with us! I feel like such a bad mommy for not taking them, but there's no way we would be able to get done what we have to do if we had them with us. And we do need some time alone, I think. It'll be good for us. I am really really looking forward to it, but I am pretty anxious about leaving the babies. Not that they won't be in the best care possible, but I've just never been away from them for that long before. Megan knows to send pictures and updates as often as possible. She's really good about that. Thank God for technology.

The kids are currently dancing in the living room, Brady keeps saying, "Shake your BOOTY!" and proceeds to do so. They're adorable, in their coordinating jammies (naturally) and booty-shaking dance. I don't know WHERE they get it. :-D

The good thing is, they'll wear themselves out enough to sleep well tonight. One can only hope.

When we get back, we have a laundry list of resolution-type goals to attend to, including but not limited to:

-Getting back (for me) and continuing (Glynn) the exercise routine and even amping it up a bit. Once I get the go-ahead to work out again, there will be no stopping me! We just need to find something to train FOR. I'm not gonna hop right back into marathoning or anything, but maybe a 5 or 10 K or something. A mini tag-team triathalon, something. I do much better with a goal in mind.

-Going back to church regularly as a family. Getting the kids in Sunday school. They're old enough now that they should be able to participate and actually separate from us without too much drama.

-Really getting to work on our practice. We should have built enough contacts at this meeting that we can start planning with vigor.

-Getting the kids started in the summer session of gymnastics. We had to hold off this current session because of my surgery and some interferences with schedules. But now they'll be ready to go back and have some fun! They call it "sticks". As in gym-na-STICKS. How cute, huh?

-Plan our summer with the girls. I think we're going to have them for almost an entire month, and we want to plan some activities and maybe a mini-vacation with them.

-Finally getting to work on my garden. I've been limited in activity, but I should be well enough in a couple of weeks to get back to it. I hope.

This trip has been the kick-start to our summer, and once it's over, it's time to get back to work. Like, for REAL. :-)

Also, Megan will be moving out and as much as I've enjoyed having her and as much as I'm gonna miss her, we will be able to have a lot more private family time, which I think we've been missing a bit. And we need to get back in our routine, just the four of us, which I'm really looking forward to. And I think she's really looking forward to moving on with her life and accomplishing her goals that she put on hold for awhile. We will miss her terribly (you have NO idea), but it's time for her to start living for HER. It's a win-win on all sides, I think.

Well, that's enough random rambling for this evening, I believe. As you're all snoozing at the computer reading my deep thoughts. *snort*

Hope everyone has a great night and enjoys their family time as much as I'm enjoying mine!

If this whole dentistry thing doesn't work out, I'm pretty sure I could get hired at PetCo

So yesterday, what began as an attempt to clean up the hair around Daisy's eyes so she could see a little better turned into a full-fledged summer-haircut. By hand. With scissors. Which took just about four hours. The result?

This searing vision of doggy beauty.

I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Deville.

Maddie says, "Daisy's a princess."

I don't know if I'd go THAT far, but she is pretty cute. And ready for the witness protection program, should the need ever arise. She looks like a different dog.

So much that I'm hoping this gets me out of picking up dog poop in the neighborhood for at least a few weeks.

"Who, MY dog? I think you must be mistaken! My dog has LONG hair."

Tweet, tweet!

I've FINALLY got with the times and discovered Twitter. I've figured out how to do it from my phone and also have my updates posted on my blog. See here --------------------->>>>>



How awesome is that? I did something kinda computery all on my own! Now, I still may not be up on setting the DVR timer or my alarm clock, but damnit, I can Twitter! I'm so cool now.


When I went to pick up the kids today, I brought Daisy with me. She had been sitting there, giving me those big brown sad puppy eyes, so I caved and she tagged along. She had a BLAST going for a car ride, and the kids were SOOO excited to see her! She sat in the back between them and they all snacked on Cheerios on the way home. Maddie kept telling me, "Daisy's my best friend." Awwwwwww!!! This coming from the girl who used to scream and jump up in my arms at the sight of something four-legged. Now she willingly shares her Cheerios and tells me proudly, "Daisy gave me a kiss."

I love it.

By the way, the extent of what I did today? I slept. All. Freaking. Day. I'm not kidding. That tells me something, that I really must need it. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to do it. I'm a big believer in your body telling you what it needs. I just tend to ignore it. Until now. MAN, I'm getting some good rest, and even though I'm feeling kinda rough today, it's good to know that I'm actually behaving myself and that the healing WILL happen. There's no way it CAN'T, at this point.

I made chicken stir-fry and rice for dinner and the kids ate really well, so they got some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert. And that is the most ambitious thing I did today. Then we watched Toy Story, brushed our teeth, and went to bed. Well, all except me. All of the daytime sleeping is kinda screwing up my nighttime sleep. Just a little. I'm finally getting a little tired so I'm gonna go throw myself in bed here once I'm finished.

Oh, one more thing: For those of you who are huge chip-and-dip fans but are watching your weight, I have got the BEST substitute for you.

Fage brand non-fat plain GREEK yogurt (has to be greek, it's so much better) into which I stirred about a tablespoon of powdered Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix. It's creamy, tangy, and delicious, and in my opinion, even better than regular dips. The yogurt alone, for the entire single-serving container (it's HUGE-about a cup or more) is only 80 calories and 0 grams of fat. The dressing mix adds another 15 calories, tops. And that's only if you use the entire package, which would be WAYYYYY too much, so figure maybe 3-5 calories added. Use it as a regular chip or veggie dip (I prefer sliced cucumbers and peppers) and use pretzel crisps (flattened-out thin baked pretzels) and you have a GREAT snack with wayyyyy less calories and fat than your normal chips and dip. Considering that I know a few people who read this that are chip-and-dip junkies like me, you may want to give it a try! And you CAN find non-fat greek yogurt in Maryville, I'm sure of it. Check the import section of Hy-Vee, mom. :)

Okay, so that's my food discovery for the day, hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Have a great night, everyone, and a wonderful day tomorrow.

Happy Mother's Day!

I had the best day today. My husband was home, the kids were great. We spent a lot of time outside and discovered the neighborhood ice cream truck, as you can see! Also, a pic of my newly re-colored hair, for those of you who haven't seen it yet.

I have some serious popsicle eaters in this house. Those kiddos go nuts for them.

We continued our outdoor adventure by playing in the backyard in their swings and playing ball with Daisy.

I have to take Glynn to the airport in a few minutes, so I'll sign off now. I just wanted to share a mother's day picture of my popsicle-lovers.

I hope everyone had as good a day as I did.

This week will be a tough one, but Hawaii will be here before we know it!

Aloha!

Only one more week of exile....

I saw my surgeon today for another follow-up.

The prognosis? Better! He says the fact that I'm having periods of time where I am pain free is a good sign. That I'm FINALLY getting better and healing. But he still wants me to take it easy for another week. He said that the last thing we needed to do was throw me to the wolves right after I started feeling better because it obviously didn't work so well last time. Hmmmm.

He may be right.


I've started to accept the fact that I'm NOT superwoman. I CAN'T do everything. And I'm starting to be okay with that.

Plus, this resting bit? Is growing on me. Locking myself in the bedroom is really working well. (No T.V. in there is a huge plus). I've already mentioned the beauty benefits (I may be able to delay the inevitable Botox in my future), but the healing part is amazingly actually working when I stay off my feet. Who'dve thunk it.

The even BETTER news is that after this week, I only have two days of work before we leave for HAWAII! Oh yeah, baby. I'm gonna rest on the BEACH. After some business gets taken care of first, of course. There will be NO sight-seeing, no schedules, and no work (for the most part). What there WILL be? Lots of rest and relaxation, preferably with my ass firmly planted in the sand or in a lounge chair, with some kind of drink with an umbrella in my hand. And my hot husband rubbing sunscreen on my back. I think I can deal with that.

Of course, I will be missing the babies like crazy. I've never been away from them for that long before!! It's going to be so hard for me. Megan and Shirley will just have to put up with millions of phone calls from me. :) And I'll be wanting hourly reports. And pictures.

I'm kidding. (kind of). But this trip is not only just what we need from a business standpoint, but a getaway for us on a personal level as well. It's important for us to be able to spend time together, just the two of us, as often as possible. And whenever we have the opportunity we'll take it. We've been lucky enough to have more dates in the past few months than we have the entire time we were in Japan because Megan has been here to help us. But I have exciting news! Meg is moving back and going back to school full time! I'm so excited for her, I think it's the best thing she could do for herself right now. We're going to miss her but we're so happy that she's taking this big step right now. She couldn't have made a better decision.

Glynn's flying in tomorrow morning so I'd better get to bed and rest. We (me and the babies) are going to the airport to pick him up around 7:00 tomorrow morning. We just got done having a picnic on the deck and we all took a big bubble bath in Mommy's jacuzzi tub. Maddie's asleep and Brady is almost there. They both brought home some really cute Mother's Day cards for me today that they had made at school. There's nothing better than that, really. I love them so much! I can never get enough artwork from them.

Okay, on that note, it's time for a cup of herbal tea and some jammies for Mommy. Good night, all.

I miss my hubby!

I realize that I am posting back-to-back, but they are two completely different topics.

This house is so empty without Glynn. I hate it. I do realize how lucky we've been that we haven't had to be separated more than we have in the past few years, but somehow, that doesn't make it any easier. I think we each have our level of things that we can and can't tolerate. Or will and won't, I suppose.

I won't tolerate being without my husband.


Navy or no Navy, it's not something that is an option for us. We don't like being without each other. I suppose I shouldn't speak for Glynn, but I'm pretty sure it's mutual. (I hope?)

As I type, he's working on finding a flight back for the weekend.

He's in Millington, Tennessee right now. This is the same trip he took the month AFTER we got married, and I flew down for the weekend that time in 2005. That was the time that we got to visit Graceland (all hail Elvis!) and see the sights of Memphis. We also got to visit the Peabody hotel and watch the ducks parade out of the fountain. It's a sight, I tell you. Who was to know that a few years later, we would get to STAY at the Peabody hotel in Little Rock and watch the ducks parade INTO the fountain? Funny how that works.

I know he's miserable too, not only because he's away from the family but because he's working. With some pretty dull people too, I gather. Poor guy.

I've been spending a LOT of time resting. A LOT. Megan has been an absolute godsend, she's been so much help lately. I've really been able to rest properly this time and she's a big part of that.

I've been sequestering myself in our bedroom. I find that if I just get into my nest in our bed, I'm much less likely to get distracted and find something else to do. Plus I'm so comfortable that I get some sleep. The upside of all of this? I've found that with the proper amount of rest, the permanent bags under my eyes have disappeared! I look.....almost.... rested. *gasp!* I've discovered the fountain of youth! Even the fine lines around my eyes look better! My skin looks great! Who needs botox, right?


Hmmmm. Maybe there's something to this rest thing after all. Considering that I haven't had a full night's sleep in over 3 years, I'm shocked at how much younger sleeping makes me look.

But I'm not optimistic about ever sleeping like this again. Just ask my mom. She says that after you have children, your good nights' sleeping is gone for good. Even when they're grown and gone. And THEN she says you start worrying about grandchildren and don't sleep well.

But I'm going to enjoy this while I can. And I really am feeling a bit better with all the resting.

I can't wait to post about something OTHER than my health problems. It's like I've turned into a little old man bitching about his ailments overnight. Ha! I guess I could fit in at the coffee shop now, right Dad?

Back to my original topic, I can't wait to see my hubby again. He's the best. I really don't know how I got so lucky. I'm not trying to paint some fairytale picture, nobody's relationship is perfect, but I think it's the non-perfect moments that make us closer. Knowing that there's nothing we can't get through together is a constant comfort. And knowing that no matter how difficult I can be, he still loves me. Nothing can compare to that.

And behind this curtain.......

Recently, I have begun to enter every contest that I come across. My reasoning is that SOMEONE has to win, right?


Guess what.


I WON!!!!


I have to go in next weekend to claim my prize. It is one of four, and I have to scratch-off a ticket to win one of the following GUARANTEED prizes:

1. $2500.00 cash
2. A 23-inch flat screen plasma T.V.
3. A 3-day trip to one of the following locations of my choice: Las Vegas, Orlando, Barbados, Cancun (swine flu? No thank you!), or the Bahamas. (airfare, hotel, food and alcohol paid for)

or......

drumroll please........



4. A brand-new Lincoln Navigator! (I kinda feel like Bob Barker) I would also have the option to decline the car and accept the Kelly Blue Book value of $45,000 instead.



I've been guaranteed one of these 4 prizes from this sweepstakes contest but I have to go in person to scratch off the ticket. I'm sure there are wayyyyy to many strings attached (it's been put on by a travel agency and you have to listen to the schpeil (yes, I've picked up a lot of Yiddish from Arnie) and they SAY no purchase necessary) for this but maybe, just maybe, I will end up with a great prize!

Here's hopin' ..............




Who knows. Sometimes, the glass has to be half full, right?

Caution: mushiness ahead!

Glynn has to leave for a business trip tomorrow. He'll be gone for one and a half weeks. Now, I don't know about y'all, but that's a lifetime for us.

Ever since we've been married, we've never spent more than a week apart at most. All for the benefit of the Navy. Now I realize that we are very fortunate that neither one of has been deployed *knocks on wood* but Glynn and I are so much of a team that we don't work well without the other. Call it co-dependant, call it what you will, but I don't do well without him.

I think that's a good thing.

It reminds me of my parents. Mom and Dad have almost NEVER been separated in the almost 40 years they've been married. Save for a few business trips here and there, including a couple of longer ones to China on Dad's part. It's not that I can't keep busy. I can. But I don't LIKE it. I'd rather stay busy with him. Not with any other time-fillers. Just my husband and kids. That's my number one priority, and always will be.

Forgive me for the mushiness. I'm feeling very pensive and emotional. It's the physical and emotional stuff with me now, it's got me in a funk.

A few days ago, my sweet baby Brady decided to give me a WWE move right in my incision. With his knee. All 37 pounds of him. Right about the time when I was actually feeling better and being able to wean myself off of my pain medication.

I spoke to my surgeon today and he is concerned that this will set me back significantly in my recovery, as Brady has likely ruptured some scar tissue that had been forming. Explained by the now non-stop aching that is now present after I had finally started feeling better.

It's really playing a number on my emotions and my psyche. When when WHEN am I finally going to feel like myself again? With the ability to throw myself into anything, whole-heartedly and without reservation, with no fear of feeling pain or fatigue? I realize that my recovery from this will be more extended than the average person, due the the chronic pain I was experiencing pre-operatively, but the ONE time I go to sit on the couch with the kids WITHOUT a pillow over my incision, Brady decided to jump up and down and land knee first on the hot spot. And subsequently set me back in my already delayed recovery.

I'm not upset with him (how in the WORLD would that even be POSSIBLE with that little angel?) but more with myself for not being more vigilant.

Glynn has been even sweeter lately. He has even volunteered to come back this weekend to visit so we can see each other and not be apart for so long. He knows when I need him, and he never fails me.

I still feel like a newlywed sometimes. We're even looking into renewing our vows in Hawaii at the end of the month. Even if it's just us. We don't need an entourage to refresh our promises to each other. This trip is just the thing we need right now.

Mushiness ahead: I feel so very blessed to have a husband that loves me unconditionally, through sickness and health, good times and bad. Especially the sickness now. I have even gotten sick of myself with all of the pain and complications of the past few months, but
Glynn has shown nothing but concern and empathy. And selflessness. He has given up so much to take care of me when I really needed him. I hope he knows that I would never hesitate to do the same for him if the tables were turned.

And with that, I'm going to sign off and go to bed. And snuggle with the greatest husband in the world.

Thank you, God, for my husband.


No snarkiness here, just pure honesty and emotion. I know it's rare, but here it is.


Good night, all.

My knight in shining armor....

You ALL know my fear of spiders is both legendary and disturbingly life-altering.

Therefore, Glynn is the designated spider-killer and life-saver in our house.

Tonight, as I cuddled on the couch with the babies, watching "princess movie", I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.


Spider. Crawling up my wall. To the top. Which is about 16 feet tall.


Cue Jodie, screeching at Glynn. "Kill it! Kill it! Kill the Goddamn thing!"

Glynn: "And how exactly am I supposed to kill it, Jodie?"

Me: "Shoot it! Shoot it with the f-ing pellet gun!"


Now. We all know Glynn is an excellent marksman. But to ask ANYONE to shoot a spider with a freaking 3-millimeter plastic pellet and KILL the damn thing is a little much.


He. Did.It. He KILLED the GODDAMN SPIDER with a PLASTIC PELLET GUN.


He's my hero.








And this is how we spend Friday nights in the Spencer household.