before

Here is what Abigail is doing these days....just taking it easy and elevating that leg. And catching up on some good episodes of Hannah Montana with Suzanne....

Here is Aaron's "before" picture....I kiddingly told one of Samuel's friends the other day that sometimes Aaron just pours cereal in there when there are no clean bowls. It is really quite a bowl. He took lots of pictures, but I wasn't sure about posting them, this one is okay, but doesn't really show the extent of the sunken sternum. Aaron is a good sport, so I am sure he will let me get some "after" pictures. And hey, he'll be so medicated, he won't protest much. But I do have to be careful and behave myself with this blog, so the kids don't hate me. I wanted to take a pic of Ab in the emergency room the other night, all fazed out from the morphine....good thing the camera batteries were home charging....besides, Emily wouldn't let me.

So, Charlotte Claire.....this morning, we hear all this noise coming from the bathroom....So, Molly goes in there, and Charlotte's stuck in there. She comes out, and I tell her not to go in the bathroom again....then, Jon, who had been in the hot tub, was looking for his underwear. So Charlotte Claire just pulled down her shorts, and there are Jon's underwear!! She took them off and gave them back....then Abigail went in to use the bathroom, and the potty seat was out of the cupboard, and there was pee in it. So, the child is training herself without saying a word. Jonathan and the little girls said they would take her to the bathroom any time she wanted......in case I never mentioned this: I am not a potty-training expert. You would think I might be, since I have 15 children who successfully use the bathroom. But I am just as stumped with each one as I was with the first, since they are all so different. I used to say, once you started on training, don't go back....even when the kid changes his. But then I came to a kid who just didn't want to anymore, so I changed my philosophy.....Now, my method is this: I wait until the child really wants to use the bathroom. I talk about it in a posistive way beginning when they are about 2 years old, like it's a really fun privlege. I don't push, because kids have this e.s.p. about pushing. They rebel against it. It seems to work, but hey, you never know. They usually are trained almost immediately, once they set their minds to it. But they still have their accidents. Not because they hate me and want to see me cry, no, just accidents.

Wow, give me 5 minutes of quiet and a computer, and I just don't shut up. I do have to get moving again....I was going to go to the store with Sonja today (she is still sticking to me like glue, just in case the keys I know Emily has in her purse show up unexpectedly)(Emily is at work)....I need some things for this week....Molly was going to watch Camille for me....(instead of going with me and helping with her)......but no keys, so I figured if Molly could watch Camille for me to go to the store, she could watch her when I go in the hot tub with all the little kids! And it was fun.....when I came back in, Camille was all tucked into bed taking a nap. Molly has the touch. So here I sit....I need to pack some clothes for Camille and I, and some food and juice for her, and some stuff for us....we are staying in the RonaldMcDonald house.....I sure hope Camille is good. She is a very smiley and cheerful baby. Just put her in bed when she fusses....and she's fine. So I hope she keeps it up, so they don't kick us out of the hospital.....

.And speaking of the hospital, has anyone ever had an insurance company that they just love? That just covers everything without a hassle? I'm not raising my hand. I spent the entire morning straightening out details. Seems that today, the day before the surgery, seemed like a good time for the hospital to call me and tell me that they are out of network for my insurance, and we would have to pay signifigantly more. The surgeon is in network, but the hospital and anesthesia group are out. Blah, blah, blah.....Jumping through the hoops, talking to computers, getting connected to someone who can help me only to get a busy signal.....and the insurance company pretty much threatened that if I didn't get a certain tax code number from the hospital TODAY the surgery wouldn't be covered at all!! Do you think it was easy to call the hospital and get that code number? Of course not!!! The hospital does not give out that information. Any any any way.....I got is as straightened out as it's going to get....now we just have to wait and see if the royalty at the top of the insurance chain decide to rule that the hospital should be considered in network because there isn't a closer facility that could perform the surgery.....if we have to pay more, we have to pay more. But: Do they think we like traveling 2-3 hours for a hospital stay, just for the fun of it? Oh well, just a little more variety to spice up life.....and of course my children were quiet little undemanding angels during all these phone calls....ha.

My kids are hooked on old episodes of Hannah Montana on the internet. Harmless enough, I guess. Our t.v. doesn't work at all, we're probably one of the only families in the U.S. of A. who hasn't watched one single bit of Olympic hype.....(I would watch gymnastics, and swimming, and some of the races if our tv worked).....yeah, the tv is broken. We borrow the small tv from Joe, that he uses for the xbox, when we want to watch a dvd in the evening. And we are alive and well. I just can't see spending all kinds of money for tv....when it is so full of garbage anyway. We don't watch very much.

Well, I am planning to bring my computer with me. I don't know where I'll have internet (I was far to embarrassed to ask the R.Mc.Donaldhouse lady if they had internet!)...so I may be gone for a few days, but I may sneak in a few posts if I can....so bye for now, wish us luck. Yours truly is not the blood and guts type, so this is not my cup of tea, but I want to be with Aaron....