Ahhhh Sleep!!!

Last night I slept for nearly 8 hours total. After the previous night, this was such a blessing. The tonsillectomy, (I am now on day 3), had caused some swelling in the back of my throat that was causing me to choke after just a few minutes of sleep (no matter what position I was in, including upright in a chair). Then I would wake up quickly and feel pain in my throat.

But last night was better and so was today. Soooooo, most of today was spent lying down, dozing and reading a variety of magazines. I can't concentrate long enough to read the books I had planned to read during my recovery yet. I can only read in brief bursts, then I doze. I think it is the pain meds. But, I feel very relaxed and peaceful. And the magazines my mother saved for me to read have been perfect :)

My throat pain today was still just moderate. I do tire of eating the more complicated foods (pizza, chimichanga's, mac and cheese) and I must have a blend of those with softer foods to handle eating well. Tonight I really enjoyed my Jello and Ramen Noodles for dinner ... but I wasn't fully satisified until I added half of an English Muffin. Super yum!

Per the doctor, tomorrow could be a bad day. Anywhere from day 4-10 can be a step back I guess. I remain hopeful that I won't notice any increase in pain or discomfort. TV dinners came in handy tonight for the kids and dh. I really love not having to cook for anyone. That continues to be a treat, as does all the help with the kids. Dh was my only helper today though, but it was bliss.

My kids have actually been very helpful. I have a tone that is not about choices for them, so that helps. But, they have been taking laundry up and down the stairs and putting it away as directed (I help and manage the putting away with them. And I also load the new load in myself. But I don't lift out any wet loads or move whole loads myself. This is actually a pretty nice routine for ongoing (hoping). My laundry continues to be more caught up than usual and I have not over-exerted myself. In fact, it feels like vacation laundry to have this much help :)

Right now I am looking forward to another night of sleep and being that much further along in the healing process tomorrow!

I feel Great!!!

I just had a tonsillectomy yesterday. Today is the 1st day after the surgery and I feel GREAT!!! Better than I have in a long time. How amazing is that?

I had read up on many testimonials of adult tonsillectomies (online) and had learned all about how terrible and horrible the recovery period is for an adult facing a tonsillectomy ... and how miserable these people were during their recovery.

Just wow! I am so lucky to be in this very NICE recovery place.

My dr./surgeon surprised me right after the surgery by saying that I can eat any foods I want at any time and that the foods would not harm my throat in any way. I loved hearing that. (Nothing makes me want something more than to be told I can't have it.)

Yesterday evening I had almost a complete (although very small) slice of Donato's thin-crust cheese pizza. I also had my share of amazing-flavored Berry Blue jello and strawberry jello and puddings ... even a few crackers with some cheese (they dissolve well.)

But, today I went to lunch with my husband at On The Border and ate a cheese enchilada and some CHIPS with cheese (Queso). Yummy!! (It did take me long time to eat each chip, so I was only able to eat maybe a handful, but I just can't believe I ate tortilla chips one day after a tonsillectomy!

I am not trying to be a hero or anything, or over-tax my body in anyway. But, I just feel GOOD and I want to enjoy it! I have done nothing against the doctor's orders. The best part of this surgery has been the help with my kids, not having to cook, and having my husband home (even though he is working in every spare moment from his office lap top.)

I am not sleeping well yet (but then I wasn't sleeping well before; not since Oct. 7 2009), so that is not something I am upset about. My throat hurts when I sleep, so I doze in small time increments. I have my little timer/alarm set for medicine times and then I wake up a whole lot in between those times too. It's not bad because every time I wake up I take a drink of water and keep my throat lubricated. Yesterday alone I drank an entire bottle of berry flavored Juicy Juice ... yummy and full of vitamin C (to help me to heal).

Hands-down, nothing beats the jello for a soothing throat snack. It's better than the Italian ice because the jello just slithers all over my throat and it's cold, but not freezing (shocking), like the Italian ice.

Now, the amazing part. I stood in my kitchen today with my mouth closed and took a deep breath through my nose ... and breathed all the way in until my lungs were FULL. I don't ever remember doing that in my entire life. I could breathe through my nose, but not to that extent, ever. And, I am still recovering!!! Things are swollen back there still but I can already tell a huge difference.

The nurse who prepped me at the surgery told me that she had a tonsillectomy as an adult and has not been sick since. I am sure that is luck, or maybe she was talking about being sick with some type of throat illness, strep, or whatever. I get sick A LOT and I just have a feeling I am not going to be as ill anymore. The surgeon told me that my tonsils were very large "bigger than most people's." Perhaps they were a pretty large trap for germs (just my thoughts).

This has been a very empowering year so far. Turning 40 has been such a turning point for me. My mammogram came back normal and I have been allergy tested, CAT scanned (prior to the tonsil surgery), had an EKG (normal) and have been prescribed new medicines (for my allergies). And these are just the medical things I have taken action on. So much more has also taken place for me this year. I will blog more about those things in another post though. It's time for me to do a bit of reading and catch some cat naps while my mom takes the kiddos to their play date.

Oh how I love having play dates again for my kiddos!

Surgery and other little reflections

My tonsillectomy is less than two weeks away and I can't believe that I am excited about it. I am very likely going to be eating those words in a few weeks, but I am just so focused on all of the benefits that I am likely to receive from going through this ... #1 is easier breathing ... I just can't wait! Bring on the pain so that I can get to recovery fast!!

On another note, I love my daughter's Co-op preschool. It's just such a happy, social place full of cuteness (the things the kids do and say) and the other parents are just so awesome. Today I showed up at preschool to assist and I was unprepared to stand out in three feet of snow (I didn't know we were taking the kids out in the snow first thing) ... so I jokingly asked if anyone (the parents dropping kids off) wanted to trade me shoes for a few hours! I was joking, but someone readily volunteered their boots to me and we wore each others' footwear for a few hours while I worked in the class. How cool is that????

As far as my housekeeping goals, they are just a work in progress. I continue to aspire to being a more decluttered, picked-up type of mom. My laundry is in a "decent" place, although far from done, and the kids do have too many toys and too many clothes (my biggest laundry challenge). Other than that though, I am not too much of a clutter mongrel in general. I have been able to get through my own clothes, books, piles and doo-dads fairly quickly. I think keeping the kids involved in the pick ups will be a key to my sanity, as well as continuing to focus on decluttering toys the little ones no longer play with.

As for my eating and exercise goals, well, it's a daily challenge. I am learning my weak moments and I think as long as I don't let myself get unconcious about my eating ... and as long as I keep taking the actions I have listed here in my blog for the most part, I can stay with a better lifestyle than I was following before. I am only looking for better health, not perfection .... so, not a bad thing. I have found that I have an addiction to certain hard candies. I am considering giving up conversation hearts and root beer barrels more permanently. I find that I cannot stop eating these when they are in my house .... crazy huh?!

As for exercise, I cannot wait to walk outside as soon as Spring begins to show itself. That is my favorite cardio exercise. I admit that the treadmill bores me to tears even though I have learned how to read a magazine while walking on it. I do love the weight machines though at the health club. Weight training is my anchor exercise (what I do at least twice per week even if I don't do any other exercise). The exciting this is that I can tell that I am firmer and stronger. I have lost some weight. I am still overweight. But, the improvement is energizing. The challenge here will be when I have to stop the exercise for awhile to recover from my surgery ... it is a great thing that Spring is coming to remind me of my goals!

Decluttering and Purging

I have been busy decluttering. I have bagged up many toys, thrown out several old magazines, sorted out books, cleaned old foods out of my refrigerator, decluttered furniture tops in my bedroom and picked up a lot of daily trash along the way each day that the kids kick up regularly.

It would feel great if so much else didn't go on in the house to keep it messy while I am doing this meaningful work. But, decluttering is not the same thing as cleaning, or even organizing. It is just a thinning out of stuff. There is still the daily household work to keep up. So, it's o.k. I know this effort will pay off soon; I just need to get ahead of myself (not sure that is really ever going to happen, but it SOUNDS like a nice goal!)

I think it is time to decide about the toy clutter once and for all. I will declutter the toys and I will set up the toy bins and such anew. But, here's the thing --

Toy pick up is not something I am willing to do alone anymore.

I don't really do it that often anyway, but I also don't make the kids do it often enough ... and they need me to. I need me to.

The toy clutter doesn't bother me so much as long as there are times that it IS picked up (even if only for a little while). I need those open floor times now and then.

SO, I am making a decision here. I will no longer do battle with the toys in my house. I will either round the kids up more regularly to pick them up with me (which I really don't mind once we get started as it does go very quickly) OR I will pick the toys up myself here and there (as I do now) and think not ONE single negative thought about it. The latter choice is essentially a decision to be a martyr (which will only wear down my energy while depriving my kids of valuable life lessons in teamwork, work ethic and personal responsility). So, my intention is to choose the first alternative.

All three kids will be involved in these toy pick ups, even though ds doesn't contribute to this particular type of mess. But, his help is needed and so he will help. Come to think of it, I have really fallen off enforcing any type of regular chore routine for ds; it's time to work on that again as well. He needs a new chore list for the back of his bedroom door.

Healthier living is a daily choice ...

I am 3 1/2 weeks into my new healthier living and exercise plan. I am losing some steam with my motivation. I will not give up!

My goals are really simple here:

Work out regularly
Stop automatic eating
Eat more fiber and protein
and eat more fruits and veggies

This need not be hard. I refuse to lose steam!

Daily commitment ... that is what it is going to take ... I have lost pounds and I have gained some energy and some zest ... it's good!

Half Day Kindergarten

I can't believe that seven years ago I had to pay for full day Kindergarten because I was working full time and the half day schedule, I thought, was just cumbersome and ridiculous.

Now, our school system only offers full day, all day, every day Kindergarten. Free of course ... unless you consider what we all pay in taxes and book fees.

But, now I want half day Kindergarten. I still have 1.5 years before anyone here starts Kindergarten, but half day Kindergarten seems to be dying here in Indiana and it really bums me out.

I sure hope the last of the half day Kindergarten programs hold out of us!

Planning for Fall ....

It's that time of the year when the preschools begin enrolling for the next school year. If you want to get into a certain school or class, you have to plan ahead ... spots do fill up.

So, I went ahead and signed the girls up for the Co-op preschool next year. DD#1 goes there now. This will require a daily trip to the school next year though and will allow for only one day per week when both girls are at school during the same day and time.

It is the cheapest option of all options and I love the Co-op. Plus, the teacher for the fours class is just amazing! I LOVE her!

I have been thinking though ...

Some things I have learned thus far when it comes to preschool, myself and my particular kids:

1.) Neither girl wants to go to preschool unless they are both going.

2.) I am not very motivated to get out the door in a timely manner unless both girls are going to school on a given day. The benefits of spending time with just one child while the other is in preschool just honestly do not excite me. They don't excite the child who isn't going to school for the day either. I do get plenty of one-on-one time with each girl at home already; they have their ways. It works out; it's all good.

3.) We are not morning people. We are ideal candidates for afternoon preschools, of which there are few. The Co-op is a morning school. I had not been able to find any afternoon preschool before where both girls could go at the same time. So, we go to morning preschool now. We enjoy the school time, even if it feels earlier than we would prefer ... and then we adore our mornings off during the week even more.

Now, I type all of this for one reason ... it came to my attention that there is a school that I have looked at in the past that has changed their hours for next year. Both girls could go at the same time, to the same school, and for at least 2.5 hours .... wow! And best yet, they have afternoon classes! How nice would that be?!!! It is as if the stars have FINALLY aligned to uncover the nearly perfect preschool for us!

But .... I like the Co-op for the relationship building with the other parents, the opportunity to work closely with qualified teachers in the classrooms where I can observe my own child and share in her learning. I like the price, the proximity of it to my house and the history I have with the teachers there. The other parents are just awesome. I love getting to know them more and more.

In many ways I think the Co-op is better for me than the other school, where I would get a break from both kids and have no need to engage in volunteer work roles. But, the other school would sure be much easier. It is in the afternoons. It is not daily. And both girls would go to the same school during the same times .... just wow ....

So many options out there ....