There are a few less tonsils and adenoids around our house these days. Daisy had surgery on Monday, so now we are riding the roller coaster of recovery.
Things look a lot like this right now:
(Except that we're home from the hospital and there are less cords involved).
No matter how common a procedure is, it's never any consolation for seeing your child in pain. I just have to keep reminding myself that our burden will only last about 12 more days. I keep thinking of all of the children I saw at the hospital who are suffering from things that are much worse, and then I am thankful for our small inconvenience.
But still... to see my daughter shaking in pain and refusing to eat, take her medication, or even speak kind of sucks.
We love Sid, and watch him regularly, but there are a few things about the show that irk me a bit.
First of all, Sid is never naughty. He wakes up every morning in a clean bedroom and entertains himself peacefully until his mom calls him downstairs for breakfast. His entire family eats together every morning; no one is rushed or running late to work. And Sid? He eats all of his food. And he never complains. And every morning he presents his parents with a wonderful opportunity to teach him something.
He’s a curious little stinker, that Sid.
When it’s time for school, Sid climbs willingly into his car seat and sings a song about how cool his mom is. And there is something to note at this point: Sid’s head is about a foot above the top of his car seat and almost touches the roof of the car which leads me to believe that Sid is really 15 years old and well above the 4’9″ booster seat recommendation.
When Sid gets to school, he performs a song and dance number with his friends May, Gabriela, and Gerald on the playground. They’re alright except for that Gerald. He’s sort of “out there,” and will probably have some social problems in adulthood.
Pretty soon, Teacher Susie comes outside to get the kids. She’s young, skinny, and hip, but she’s a bit of a pushover because she lets Sid dictate the subject matter of each lesson EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.
Where is her curriculum? Her lesson plan?
Sid’s education is clearly a scam because, four kids in a class? Really?!?
After school, Sid’s grandma picks him up and takes him home. Grandma has a nervous laugh that resembles mating wildebeests. She also makes other noises like, “Ahhhh-ah-ah-ah!” and “Oooo-ooo-ooo!” that make me uncomfortable.
At home, Sid tells everyone what he learned at school that day, and then the entire family plays, sings, or dances together.
The strangest thing about Sid, though, is that he has five fingers!
[PBS]
As a child, I thought it was really odd that cartoons usually only have four fingers. Now that I've seen Sid's furious five, I totally get it! It looks weeeiiiiiird!
Next up: my analysis of The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot About That, and why no mother should let her children travel via thingamajig.
Scotty had Friday off last week, so we got to have another long holiday weekend.
(We're spoiled, and we know it!)
We started off our long weekend by taking our kids on individual outings. I took Daisy to the zoo, and Scotty took Nicky to a water park. Then we met up for The Lunch That Made Me Cry.
You see, on Thursday night, my friend, Megan, ate a burrito in front of me at our sons' t-ball game. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but being the pregnant individual that I am, I was overcome by the aroma of that burrito, and I spent the following 18 hours daydreaming about burritos. For lunch on Friday, I wanted to go to Grocery Store A where there are bean and cheese burritos at the deli. I expressed this to Scotty, but when he pulled out of our driveway, for reasons I do not understand, he went the opposite direction. We stopped by McDonald's and got Happy Meals for the kids (yes, we'd been to McDonald's already that week, don't judge me!), which put us in a terribly inconvenient position, and I had to surrender and go to Grocery Store B, where Scotty said there would still be a bean and cheese burrito at the deli.
There were NOT bean and cheese burritos at Grocery Store B!
I should have recovered quickly and found something else, but instead I fought back tears and went into a panic. I didn't know what to do. I felt like an idiot, but I was genuinely devastated. I ended up grabbing a roast beef sandwich and speed walking to the register where I continued to try and hold myself together.
I am not a person who cries over burritos. I'm not. And yet... I am!!!
(I don't really even like burritos all that much!)
When I went back to the car, I tried to play it cool, but Scotty could tell I wasn't okay, so he offered to stop at the gas station on our way to the mountains so I could get a burrito. By then, I had taken a few bites of my disgusting roast beef sandwich, and the burrito window had closed.
(Wow! I did not intend for this post to be so burrito-centered!)
Anyway, the whole reason we were rounding up lunches and heading into the mountains was so we could spend the afternoon at the cabin. We met Scotty's brother there and did some manly stuff, like shoot guns...
Go fishing...
And catch butterflies.
On the way home we stopped for pizza and ice cream, which sort of made up for the burrito incident.
On Saturday, we cleaned up our house then took our kids to Grandma's so Scotty and I could go on a quick lunch date.
(So maybe we eat out a lot...)
In the afternoon, I cut Scotty and Nicky's hair in the backyard.
(Random fact: their hair clippings itched my belly through four layers of clothing. Yes, four! There is a combination of being Mormon, being modest, and being pregnant that results in wearing way too many clothes in the summer).
That night we had our traditional Saturday Game Night (this week we played Settlers of Catan and Forbidden Island) complete with brinner.
On Sunday, I presented Scotty with his real Fathers' Day gift - a case of Southern Gold BBQ Sauce from his favorite restaurant in South Carolina (where he served his mission).
(We also got a new blender).
We went to church, like good little Mormons. Then we went to Scotty's mom's house for nachos and strawberry short cake (I didn't have to cook on Fathers' Day. It was awesome!)
That afternoon we went to the church parking lot with some of Scotty's step-brothers to teach our niece how to ride her bike without training wheels. It was a fun family event - Grandpa got to lay in the grass and watch a swarm of grandkids ride bikes together.
Later, we stopped by my dad's house for a visit, where my kids were transfixed by a dead fish in the lawn (which is preferable to the dead cat they found two days earlier).
To finalize our evening, we watched Mission: Impossible III.
We had an awesome weekend full of recreation, food, and dads with a healthy dose of Tom Cruise.
We have something very exciting in store for our next long weekend. I don't want to ruin future blog fodder by giving it all away now, but I can drop a few hints: mud, fire, and barbed wire.
Last week I posted a list of some of Nicky's favorite things. This week I thought I better post some of Daisy's (I'm an equal opportunity favorites-lister). Here are some of Daisy's favorite things according to my own observations:
Books: Any with animals or princesses
TV Show: The Wiggles, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Teletubbies
Movie: Peter Pan (until it shows Captain Hook - then she starts yelling, "I hate this show!" until it shows Wendy again).
Song to sing: How Much is that Doggy in the Window
Song to listen to: Winnie the Pooh (because she gets to yell "Pooh" really loud and not get in trouble)
Place to eat: McDonald's, Sam's Club
Food: Whatever is on someone else'e plate (regardless of whether she has her own serving of the exact same thing).
Snack: Pretzels, chips, applesauce or yogurt with sprinkles
Thing to do with Mom: Read books
Thing to do with Dad: Go fishing
Thing to do with Nicky: Play outside and fight
Scripture story: "The Lord commanded Nephi to go and get the plates..."
Friends: Genevieve, Katie, Maddie, Max, Zackary, Kevin
Sports: Baseball, golf, ballerina-ing (basically, she likes to hit stuff and twirl)
Drink: Chocolate milk (she asks for it ALL.DAY.LONG)
Toy: My Little Ponies (purchased from the thrift store and given rejuvenating haircuts by yours truly)
Treat: Anything and everything with sugar in it. She would lick sugar off the toilet seat if necessary.
Hobbies: Looking at books, playing with friends, singing, changing clothes over and over...
Fact #1: On Sunday I walked into church with a hold slip from the library stuck to my butt. Apparently I was reserved in Scotty's name.
Fact #2: Chunky babies make me squee.
Fact #3: Yesterday I took my kids to McDonald's, and Daisy pointed to a little boy in a stroller (wearing a onesie and drinking a bottle) and said, "Mama, look at the baby!"
The mother of the "baby" then said to us, "He's not a baby. He's one!"
Apparently there are people who don't like their babies to be called "babies."
Fact #4: I'm buying myself a blender for Scotty for Fathers' Day.
Fact #5: I should probably go the traditional route and get Scotty a tie (you know... for himself and stuff) because he has the gosh-dang ugliest ties in the world.
But I'd rather have a blender.
I mean... he'd rather have a blender.
(I can only assume).
Fact #6: Nicky has picked out names for our baby. If it's a boy, he wants to name him Lister. If it's a girl, he wants to name her Paisley. Lister is a no for obvious reasons. Paisley is a no because it sounds too much like Daisy. I'm going to have to break the poor kid's heart.
Fact #7: I'm officially half-way through this pregnancy.
Fact #8: I hired Nicky to take a photo.
And now I'm on a mission to find a better photographer and some better clothes.
(Also, a more flattering pose for belly shots. Ugh!)
Fact #9: I mentioned recently that Daisy is having her tonsils out later this month.
You guys!
Her tonsils are seriously creepy! There is no opening to her throat. They are HUGE and covered in blood vessels. They literally give me nightmares. The other day I dreamed that I had tonsils like hers, and I could feel them pushing their way into my mouth as they became inflamed.
{{shudder}}
I'm very excited to have it over and done with.
Fact #10: I don't like the part where my two-year-old has to have surgery and stay overnight in a hospital, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Have you ever seen the photos in the celebrity trash magazines that try to convince us that celebrities are just like us? They say things like: Stars are just like us! They take their kids for walks in the park! And then you see a photo of Katie Holmes and Suri in a park, and you roll your eyes and think Wow, Katie Holmes!You're so normal!
The thing is, no matter what any magazine says, celebrities are not just like us.
Because celebrities get a big old pat on the back when they do something ordinary.Nobody cares if we wipe our kids boogers or buy our own milk, but if a celebrity does those things, alert the press! It's a big deal!
So lately I've been taking note of all the things that happen to me that I would love to see happen to a celebrity. Like the other day when I snagged my chin zit on my cereal bowl. The first thing I thought was: Stars are just like us! They suffer facial acne wounds during breakfast!
But that will never happen because celebrities don't eat Frosted Flakes out of 88¢ plastic bowls from Walmart.
And then there was the time that I found the neighbor kid's scabby band-aid on my computer desk, and I thought: Stars are just like us! They find other people's encrusted bandages in their houses!
(Because you know Gayle King probably takes her band-aids off at Oprah's house all the time).
Someday when Gwen Stefani is walking through Home Depot, and Zuma poops his pants, and she runs him to the restroom and finds that the poop is no longer there because it has fallen from his pant-leg during the rush...
Then I will start to buy into it a little bit.
But until then, nope!
Starts are not just like us!
(And Gwen better scour the entire store looking for the poop, too. Because that's part of the gig - if you drop poop, you go find it!)
I keep a sporadic journal for Nicky, and a few times a year, I ask him about his favorite things and write them down for him. For the past year and half, when I ask him "What is your favorite ?" he responds with "All of the s!"
So his favorite movies have been "all of the movies!" and his favorite books have been "all of the books!" for a really long time.
Today, I asked him about his favorites, and HALLELUJAH! He actually had some!
TV Show: Zula Patrol (which he calls "Zula Control"), He-Man, and Marvin the Tap Dancing Horse
Movie: (Turns out that Nicky doesn't actually know what a movie is. He only likes TV shows because movies are "too long." His response to this one was Jake and the Neverland Pirates)
Song to Sing: ABC's
Song to Listen to: Chicka Chicka 1-2-3, Tarzan soundtrack, and Cello Wars
Place to Eat: McDonald's
Food: Chicken nuggets and pizza
Snack: Cheese and crackers, bacon
Thing to do with Mom: Ride bikes
Thing to do with Dad: Play Donkey Kong
Thing to do with Daisy: Build tents
Scripture Story: Ammon saving King Lamoni's sheep
Friends: Travis, Asher, Ethan, Caleb, Carter, and Ailee
Sports: Golf, baseball, soccer
Drink: Root beer
Toy: Keyboard (as in piano, not computer)
Treat: DumDums, Kit Kats, Sour Punch Straws
Hobbies: Playing Wii, watching Word World, and riding his two-wheeler
Vegetable: Peas and carrots from the garden, corn
Fruit: Strawberries and apples, but especially baby strawberries from the garden
This morning I was reading in the New Testament about when Jesus Christ was examined before Caiaphas prior to the crucifixion. As several people came forward to bear false witness against Him, "Jesus held his peace" (Mattew 26:63). He didn't defend himself or argue. He didn't tell his side of the story - He just remained silent.
Lately I feel like I have a lot to say. Too much, in fact. I want to write things in blog posts and shout stuff from the roof of my house, but because of the nature of the things I want to say, I'm better off staying quiet. I want to tell you about the things that are troubling me - the things that are keeping me awake at night and the things that make me cry - but I feel like I can't go into any of that because it isn't appropriate blog fodder, and doing so would require me to betray the privacy of other people.
I want to confess the things I've had to do lately that make me feel so un-Christ-like that I wonder how I'll ever be forgiven. I also want to tell you why I've chosen to do those things and how, even though my actions seem harsh, I have been counseled by my bishop, my stake president, and a social worker to do so.
I want to tell you about the friendship I had to walk away from. How I had to do it for my own well-being and how it eats away at me every day, no matter how many times I receive a confirmation that it was the right thing to do. I want to tell you about how I have to resist the urge to call and to visit and how, even though I feel like I have a pretty good idea when this person needs help with something, I have to stay away and let other people tend to her needs.
I want to tell you about pains I feel and struggles I experience. I want to tell you about the person I am so angry with, I can't even look him in the eye.
I want to declare my fears and my dread and tell you about how every time my phone rings or I hear a knock at the door, my heart plummets into my stomach because I'm terrified of who's there.
Even though my circumstances are different from the Savior's, I am reminded of His great example. Christ knew when to tell His story and when to remain silent. This is a time when I want to let it out; I want to release some of my angst and set some of my opinions free, but I am restrained by the Spirit. I know that I must hold my peace.
So forgive me for my ambiguity here and for my lack of quality posts lately. It's hard to want to say something and not be able to say it.
Reading:The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein. I'm trying so hard to do the Lord of the Rings thing so Amy and Becky will like me. But please tell me that the actual trilogy better than The Hobbit! It has, to be, right? After all, there's Aragorn!
Wondering: why Viggo Mortensen is only good looking in Lord of the Rings?
Procrastinating:taking Nicky's immunization card to the elementary for his kindergarten registration. I've been forgetting for MONTHS!!! DONE!
Craving: a sandwich that might not exist. Some days it's turkey, and some days it's roast beef, but it's always on this fabulous wheat bread that I imagined. I can't find this sandwich!!
Dreading: my root canal next week. That's right! I'm finally getting it over with.
Wearing: strappy sandals and a bath robe. I'm lookin' goooooood!
Needing: someone to come paint my toenails and shave my legs. I'm good for today, but I'll definitely need you next week.
Suffering from: a lingering cough, but I'll take it compared to what once was.
Neglecting: cooking. It's so funny to be pregnant because I'm not myself at all. My real self loves cooking and cooks almost every night. Pregnant self? Eats cereal for every meal. I can't stand cooking!
Thankful for: my yard. I'm so glad that we have enough space for everything we want and need.
Enjoying the 13' umbrella in my back yard. We have zero natural shade back there, and it turns into an oven in the summer.
Frustrated with: my kids fighting ALL. DAY. LONG. Nicky has only been out of school for a week, and all I've done in that time is play referee.
Worried about: Daisy's tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy later this month. It's not the procedures that scare me; it's my daughter. I know what she's like, and I know it's going to be ugly.
Addicted to:The Piano Guys.Jon Schmidt and Steve Nelson's music makes up at least 90% of the listening in our home and car.
(I'll give 10 extra credit points to anyone who can figure out what I love about the music video above. You'll have to watch the whole thing to see it).
Book worm. Imperfectionist. Life-long learner. Mother of four. Kitchen ballroom dancer. Aspiring optimist. Supporter of food. Family life educator. Mascot wannabe.
