And one incidental recommendation for event decorating that really saved me this time: jelly bellies rule! Loads of colors and people love them. The nice folks at bulkcandystoredotcom hooked me up with 30 lbs, that ended up as stripes in vases with flowers (in water tubes) stuck in them, and as sprinkles on the tables.

Not much clean up required there, as they became part of dessert.

Also, the newest jelly belly flavor (that is not a part of Bertie Botts, believe it or not) Roasted Garlic. Some will love it, I'm sure. Me? nsm.

jelly bellies rule!

People around here are very enamored of belly flops. Personally, I don't like any jellified, sticky candy type objects that may wrap themselves around my teeth. I'm convinced it is a result of brainwashing, as this is exactly how my mother expresses her dislike. She also brainwashed me into hating dusting, but I'm sure I took that opinion and made it my own more easily than disliking certain kinds of candy.

Daniel, you and Andi are adorable.

Susan, I'm glad your back is better. Is your DH home to help you today?

Connie, I'm glad that your husband's surgery is over, that he can now concentrate on getting better, and you no longer have to watch American Idol. Healing ~ma.

DH expects to be home for the rest of the week at this point. I'm nowhere near well enough to take care of Annabel, and I'm pretty sure I'm better off resting as much as possible.

My big hope for tomorrow is to be improved enough to take a shower. I'm already feeling all skanky and stinky.

Susan - I hope your back starts to feel better soon. (Get to a chiropracter!)

Andi & Dan are too cute!

connie - I hope your husband gets well very soon!

IOmeN, I just started a new "diet" that eliminates all salt & simple sugars from the diet. I eat more often with smaller portions to regulate my insulin levels, but I've been getting horrible withdrawl headaches in the afternoons. I hope the pain is worth the hoped-for outcome.

Susan, when things happened to me (premature labor with Julia, general exhaustion with Chris, neck problems at various times) that limited my physicality, Scott, my mum, and I started teaching the kids how to do some things on their own.

Ben wasn't completely trained before I had Julia. So we taught him to climb up on his bed, so that I could change him. We taught him how to get in and out of the high chair, car, and car seat, and other stuff like that, too. When I was pregnant with Chris, once Julia could walk, we taught her similar things. Ditto Chris, when I was having neck problems. There might be some things you can change while you're injured to help you avoid reinjury.

eta....

Oh beth, I hope it passes quickly.

thanks, cindy. It has passed for now -- I think I am still under shock from what we paid the IRS. and know that I will be spendig over the next couple of months.

in better news. I took the "I hate chang and the vet most of all" cat to the vert for shots this morning. he was better behaved than usual - he even stopped growling long enough for the vet to listen to his heart. and he didn't try and swat me until after he was back in his box. yay - today's real trauma is over.

ooo - jelly bellies. that sounds so yummy...

there was something else I wanted to say but the jelly bellies took over my brain.

Cindy is wise.

Do you have a door-sized baby gate? Once our kids got to the climby-out-of-crib stage, we started having them sleep on the crib mattress on the floor of their bedrooms, with a gate on the door. If you did this temporarily for Annabel, you wouldn't have to lift her in and out of bed.

Annabel doesn't have her own bedroom, since we still live in a tiny house (cue guilt script about how I should be earning more and we should be better with money). Her crib is in our room, and the living room is the only room childproofed enough just to turn her loose, and even there I wouldn't want to leave her without anyone capable of picking her up.

Cindy's very smart.

A friend of mine taught her daughter to do things as soon as she thought her daughter was ready. She also kept the diapers and wipes, etc in a low cabinet so her daughter could get them herself and also to carry the wet diapers to the trash,when she was a bit older and scared of dark rooms EJ showed her daughter how to carry her plastic chair in the room, stand on it and turn on the light. Her daughter's 3 and helps with the dishes -- she puts the dishwasher solid detergent in and then closes the door. She loves being a big girl and doing all these things.