Evil Smarts/A Valentine Sterilization

I have smart kids. In the words of Mr. Monk (from the t.v. show Monk), this is a gift--and a curse. It has been helpful in school situations, but my girls are what I would describe as “evil smart.” The evil has come out at different times. Aubree and Campbelle are twins born 12 years apart, and their evil seems to have emerged at similar times—between the ages of 2-4 for Aubree, and starting at 2 for Campbelle and still going strong at age 5. Brinnan’s evil emerged as a teenager, so, as it is more current, I will have to keep it under wraps for another twenty years, but I do have stories to tell!

Campbelle’s latest manifestation has been in the form of choosing to not understand any response that isn’t what she wants to hear. Here is an example: I give her a drink of water at bedtime. One night she said, “I want something else to drink.” I said, “You don’t get anything else at bedtime.” She said, “I don’t understand what you mean.” I’m pretty sure she drove her friend Morgan into a rage doing this the other night. She has nearly driven me into a rage with it on several occasions. Variations on the phrase are, “That doesn’t make any sense,” or, “I don’t understand you,” or “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

I guess I can share one small incidence of Brinnan’s evil—she enjoys teasing Campbelle into a rage (which really isn’t that hard to do). Last night, Campbelle was complaining about wanting to be the boss and do whatever she wanted to do, and Brinnan looked at her and said, “Well, I get to do whatever I want.” Campbelle glared at her and said, “Uh-uh!!! You don’t get to write on the walls! Throw dishes on the floor and break them! Go potty on the floor!” Brinn was a little taken aback, and had to admit Campbelle was right. Score one for Campbelle!

In other news, I had a hysterectomy (plus ovaries removed) on Valentine’s Day. How romantic. It was especially special when I had to sign forms that showed I understood I was about to be sterilized. I spent two days the weekend before gathering supplies and then making a special Valentine’s dinner on Sunday—a meal Steve had been asking for for months. I was having the procedure on Valentine’s Day due to a combination of Steve’s being able to schedule three weeks being home, and the doctor’s schedule being surgeries on Tuesdays at that hospital. We had dinner on Sunday because I had to do a liquid diet on Monday.

Here's a picture of dessert: Chocolate Bavarian Cream and Brownie Bites, topped with a homemade truffle!

From Drop Box

After dinner, Steve said, “So, should I bring you flowers after your surgery?” Stupid question on many levels, but because he had to ask, I said no. Then he went on to say how he actually kind of liked buying flowers because it made him look so good! All the girls would smile at him and think how sweet he was. On our way to the hospital, he said he would get me a really good present to make up for me having to do this on Valentine’s Day (mostly because his co-workers were giving him a hard time about it), and I thought, "Great!" and started imagining a Kindle Fire to watch shows on and read books while I recuperated. Guess what he got me!!! Flowers!! I think he still owes me big time now!

Here we are after surgery but just before some whole body swelling set in:

From Drop Box

In the meantime, I have learned that removing my parts has not interfered at all with my love affair with chocolate, and I have passed this love onto my children. We can go through a bag of chocolate chips or a pan of brownies with the greatest of ease and skill! Steve has begun suggesting that if I didn’t keep so much chocolate in the house, I might have an easier time losing the weight I’ve been complaining about. I just look at him and say, “I don’t understand what you are talking about. That doesn’t make any sense!”