Spoiling my kids

I don't remember how it came up, but one time in a junior high English class we were discussing kids who are spoiled.  One of my classmates thought I was spoiled because on rainy days I would often come home to freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.

Said classmate was right.  I was spoiled.  What a great way for my mom to show she loved us, by making us a yummy, warm treat on a chilly day.

It's not chilly today, but I decided my kids needed some spoiling.

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We tried a new recipe.  Yum!

Another 12 year-old!

It is hard to believe that another one of our kids has reached 12 years, but indeed, Ethan has.

(2001 - 3 months old)

(2008)

(2013)

Ethan is a great kid.  He is a good brother and son.  He enjoys swim team, and loves to play baseball, and despite living in the land of the Red Sox, he still holds true to his love for the Angels.  Ethan is an amazing artist, especially when it comes to drawing dinosaurs.  His attention to detail is impeccable.  It is fun to discuss some of our favorite movies and books with him.

For Ethan's birthday, we got him some baby chicks, which he picked out yesterday. Meet "She-rex (the yellow fluff ball, she is a light brahma), "Mrs. Bean" (the brownish speckled sussex), and "Black Jack" (the black australorp).

Happy birthday Ethan.  We love you!

Life is Good

Thank you all so much for your kind comments, both on the blog, and on Facebook, about my cancer.  My surgery went well, and I am now the proud owner of a 2.5 inch scar on my neck:

It was fun to read the surgeon's report of the surgery (they counted the sponges to make sure all were accounted for before sewing me up, and apparently also transplanted one of my parathyroid glands!), and the pathologist's report (what ended up being an additional cancerous nodule from the left side of my thyroid was termed a "red-brown gelatinous mass", and "the remaining thyroid parenchyma is tan-brown, beefy red & hemogeneous." Love those descriptions!)

Tomorrow I see my endocrinologist to make sure my hormone levels are all in the right ranges, but for now I feel good, my energy levels are rising, and things at home are mostly back to normal.  Thank you all again for all your prayers on my behalf.

In other news, if you follow me on Instagram (wifeoferp), you have seen the quilt I have been working on for Sophie's kindergarten class.  Each year, the teachers ask a parent from each class to make a quilt from squares of fabric that the children have drawn a picture on.  I volunteered to make the quilt for Sophie's class, and this morning I finished the last few inches of binding.

(Sophie's block)

The quilt will be unveiled to the class when they study the letter Q, which is the last letter of the year, so sometime in late May.  I'm really happy with the finished product, especially the border.  When you design a quilt from scratch, there is always the possibility it won't turn out how you were hoping!

Now I have several more quilts that have been waiting for a few years for their binding, so I have made it a priority to get those done before I get start a new project.

What's keeping you busy these days?