Monday, March 26, 2012

Goiters and Gangsters....it's how we roll.

I know! Avert your gaze. See how big and crazy that goiter is? 
It is a genetic thing not because I don't eat enough iodonized salt....believe me. 
It didn't hurt to have it but I have noticed pressure when I laid down on my back. 
I also couldn't wear some necklaces, and since I'm such a fashionista, it really hampered my style.
Post total thyroidectomy. I really thought the neck slashing incision would be larger. 
When the doctors made the rounds they kept saying "it was so massive", "it was huge" as they pushed on the tape. 

I have a neck! 
I can feel my clavicle now. There is a huge dent now where the goiter was. 
Try not to be distracted that, yes, I am in the same shirt for the before picture as I am in the after. Besides the tape on my neck, I can tell it's the after by the greasy hair...48 hours til I could shower.  Yep, I'm giving it 72 hours just to make sure....

Look what I get to come home to...my 3 gangsters. 
Andy was fantastic taking care of me. He let me sleep for a couple days without any responsibility...I have no idea where he learned that. 
I will never go back to Blodgett for any other surgery. Metro only for me!
I got attitude from the nurses when I didn't report any change in the pain. I had a terrible reaction to Dilaudid with tachypnea at about 60 and crushing chest pain and the nurse took a scheduling phone call and said she would check on my when I was done. (Gee, thanks)
The nurses station was a sorority hall with contests, laughing, throwing things and tap dancing all night. Housekeeping came and cleaned my room complete with shaking open the garbage bags at 3AM. Makes sense to me......I had paperwork thrown at me and had to justify why I needed more pain meds. 
I was even snapped at by food services for having the nerve to try to order a fruit platter AND mac and cheese. How was I to know that counted as 2 entrees?!? 
I couldn't wait to get out of there. 
Glad to be home. On to the next chapter.






Thursday, March 15, 2012

Who's manning the couch???

This weather is ridiculous! Open the windows and blast Taylor Swift, Melissa Etheridge,  (pick a band that makes me sound cooler than I am). I have been blessed with some great hours at work so I don't get to enjoy the weather as much as say.....these monkeys!



Andy took the kids for a walk down to the water. The boys are in short sleeves for the first time this year. Reese is in a long sleeve thermal....a sign of things to come, I imagine.
 "I don't care that everyone is wearing bathing suits to swim!
If they all jumped off a bridge, would you jump to?"
Oh, baby girl......

This brings a tear to this mama's eye....I played soccer forever. I lived, breathed and am now hobbled in my old age because of that black and white ball. "Use your laces, girlie." I can still hear my mom's voice in her thick Boston accent yelling from the sidelines. "Get in there, Katie-girl!" It came out like "Get in thayer, Katie-gurl!" Good memories... 

"Hey, boys, grab that there log the storm felled and throw it in that there burn pile. Daddy's gonna take a picture for your hard workin' momma. Girlie, stay back, let the boys work."
Knowing my munchkins are having great days makes strapping on the boots a lot easier for me.
 Someone's gotta pay for long sleeve thermal shirts off season.....

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Fresh entryway.



Our house needs a bit of love. It's no secret. If you've been here you know. 
This is my entryway. Here is where I welcome the pizza guy my family and friends into my home. 
Yeah, you can see why I sit alone at night and watch NCIS....
The sun is shining and I wanted to get some fresh air into my kids. These sunshiney days make me want to DO STUFF.  Like....put away the kids sleds now that it is 62degrees out. Or maybe wash and store the pet bowls now that both cats are dead. I mean, I don't want to rush the mourning process. The base to the carseat, you ask? For a carseat that we have outgrown? I suppose I could store it for use when someone drops some triplets off on my door step....




Off we went to Target. I saw some nice cushions and pillows in the outdoor section and thought how simple and quick. The Rubbermaid bench needed to be burned at the stake a little revitalization so we picked up some spray paint. I have used the Krylon for plastic in the past and thought it was wonderful. 

SHAZAM!! 
 I love it. Our chicken found a new home right out front. 

Here's the bench after a little spray paint love. Simple cushions and out of my comfort zone modern pillows. I have a couple uber stylish friends with great taste and I channeled them big time. I love it.

I took down the brass numbers and sprayed them too. 
Quick, easy and came out smooth as a well poured ganache.

Somehow, it all comes back to the chickens. Happy now with your new home??? Fantastic!
How much did this cost? Just a buck and some change under $50. 
There is still a lot of work to do but this makes it less abandoned looking.....

Saturday, March 10, 2012

My little pony.


Well, the time had come.


Yep, the penny horse at Meijer!!
The boys know that they get a cookie halfway through shopping and Sandy the penny horse at the end of shopping. Reese is now old enough to enjoy it all too.

Yeah, girl, giddee up!!

I have to start putting stuff like bows and headbands in her mop of a hairdo. She still gets called a boy. Even in a pink hoodie and pink shoes. I'm all for "Real men wear pink" but come on! Gonna have to hit Village Kids of Ada for some cute Kiwi Bows (support local small business!....and they sell my Cozees).
Someday we will get you a real horse, baby girl. But until then, "Ride 'em, Cowboy, er...Cowgirl!"

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Opening my hand is hard....

This past Saturday we went to Java Gym for the first time to celebrate a friend's birthday. That place is wonderful! At first, they were a little unsure, but after seeing me climbing all over and going down the slides (yes, it was as ridiculous as you are currently imagining)
 they decided if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for them.
They had a blast!


Cole coming down the slide. 
(anyone have a 7.0 ETT, stylet and a scope?)



"Yeah, slide, I own you now."

Mister Logan enjoying the slide. He kept his hat and coat on for about an hour. After a couple up and downs on the jumpy, bouncy, climby things he took them off. He was serious now.

I had such a hard time with the whole multi-age, unsupervised, open play. It was hard to see 6 & 7 yr old Goliaths pushing my kid as they ran by them and cut their way to the front of the slide. I admit, I wanted to bash some heads but I realized--as much as I want to keep them under my wing, this is life.
 I want them to fall down, I want them to fail at things, I want them to be unsure and scared in new situations. It's my hope that knowing I will be there to support them, offer them a hand up and a dusting off from time to time, they will try new things and explore life.

What was Reese doing while we were conquering slides and nylon bridges?

Dreaming up new ways to scare her father.
"Hey dad, I climbed up on the buffet table."

Thursday, March 1, 2012

One chick, two chick, yellow chick....come on chocolate chick!

Big Day today!!
We have chicks!


 Duh...what am I? Chopped liver?

I wanna see, I wanna see!

Hello, little ones and welcome to Albright Acres! 

Moving out of the old digs and into the little slice of paradise called the Cluk Mahal. 
6 hatched and we are hoping for 3 or 4 more. 


We are hoping that some of those darker shells start making some movement today. Those are the chocolate chickens. 


Little puffs of fluff. 

Look at my little farmers....you guys are rocking the "sweatpants and moonboot" look like rockstars.