pictures

Valentines plates for Suzanne's party.
How long have those, "Happy 1st Birthday" napkins been in our cupboard?
Evelyn decided to clean out some cupboards and found these umbrellas...the girls thought they looked lovely on the cupcakes.
Jonny and his big sister Emily.
Yay, Emily came over!


Suzanne
Suzanne and Olivia frosted the cupcakes,,,Yankees fans.
I love this picture! My niece Olivia helped Suze decorate the cupcakes.
Suzanne Eleanor, birthday girl...eleven years old.
No words needed for this one.

Suze picked her birthday dinner out ahead of time, corn dogs and boxed macaroni and cheese (yucky, eh?). I also put in some chicken thighs for the grown-ups, and made a big bowl of those yummy long green beans. I made the cupcakes and the frosting, then gave it to Suze and left the room. I told her it was the perfect time to have fun and learn how to decorate cupcakes.

I am trying not to do too much, but...

I find I can shuffle around and do dishes and putter around the kitchen, even sweep and mop up the floor if I don't have to lean over and pick things up. I even put in a load of lights this afternoon, because it needed to be done and no one was here to do it. Sam took the little kids out for a walk in the rain, they came in all happy with special rocks they washed in the sink. I let them open a new electric blanket and plug it in behind the couch, they are going to watch some television under it. Curious George, I think.

It is sort of frustrating to be so stalled in my weight loss/exercise thing. I couldn't exercise right now if my life depended on it. I seriously feel like I have been hit by a bus, and dragged a few feet. Dang, I thought I would bounce right back. Plus, I feel like a huge complainer. I am just coming to terms with the fact that I might just have to just hang in here for a few weeks, eat sensibly, then go at it again little by little, no work outs for a while. It is the "eating sensibly" thing I will have to work on. Yesterday, in addition to those yummy chocolate cupcakes with my homemade buttercream frosting, there was Evelyn's home made ice cream pie...the thing is, I had no intention of having ANY of it. Then Camille asked to be excused without finishing her ice cream pie...I didn't want it to go to waste, so I just took one taste, then before I knew it, I was scraping the plate with the spoon to get every last bit. Then I broke off a hunk of a cupcake, and that frosting is just so yummy...dang, I finished the whole cupcake. I did not have anything else the rest of the night, but blah, I should be more careful.

And that is not even mentioning how many chocolate covered peanut butter Valentine hearts I thoughtlessly ate while talking to my sister on the phone yesterday...

I do not want to gain all my weight back.

So I shall be more careful.

And I am also trying to count my blessings today. My kids are such good kids. They are so good to me. Evelyn got up with the little ones this morning and made pancakes, twelve year old Evelyn. I heard Rosie barking, so I called the home phone from my cell phone, in bed, and asked Jon to just let her out the door. Sam has been getting up every morning to take her out, but he must've slept in, which was nice, because he IS on vacation.

It is cold and overcast today, my favorite kind of day to stay inside. The rain is changing over to snow, and we should get quite a bit by tomorrow afternoon. I am really glad to be in my jammies, going no where fast. I am also glad Sam is going to make me some afternoon coffee soon.

Once I am up and about, it isn't too bad, but getting up from a chair or out of bed, or rolling over, ouch. I haven't taken any pain meds since early this morning, so I am thinking of taking just one soon, to take the edge off. I still have stuff in my lungs from the surgery, and coughing is not fun.

I had been thinking of taking the kids to the movies today, but decided it was crazy. So I asked Paul if he will take us tomorrow, and he said SURE. Then Camille, who has gone to the movies THREE times in her little life, ran up to him and said, "Daddy, do you PROMISE to get us popcorn AND soda??!" He said yes. Wow, Camille. I think I will be up for going, it will only be the five youngest, and with Paul to drive, it will be nice. All my girls aged 12 and up will be at the young sister's weekend at church, and I am pretty sure that Joseph, Aaron, and Samuel will opt out of seeing, "The Muppets". Unless Sam hears about the popcorn...

Honestly, I have more than sympathy for all the mommies out there who have had c. sections, ouch! No fun. Although at least you get a baby out of that! I would really like a new baby right about now.

Going to the hospital...I have gone in sixteen times and brought home babies. Then once to have Robert, which was too sad, and the two times for the d&c's, last summer and twenty something years ago. So for me, going to the hospital=having a baby.

Oh well...sorry if I complain too much, and thank you for all the encouragement!!!