Random thoughts......

"Happy Birthday Mommy, can you make muffins?"  These were the first words I heard this morning,  from my 5 year old boy with the big brown eyes.  Yes, it is my birthday, and I am 41, but don't feel a day over 40! 

Life is good. 

My brother is actually getting a little better - perhaps I was a bit premature in my last blog entry.  Apparently, he had a visit from Pope John Paul himself, and he has since started receiving the sacraments and his health is improving.  God is good!

I just finished my shopping list of last minute items to get for our Thanksgiving dinner.  Everyone had a chance to submit his/her requests and it is a lot of food.  There should be a lot of leftovers! 

Tonight is our unit Marine Corps Ball.  It is an hour away, in a convention center.  We are providing babysitting onsite and my oldest daughter, her friend, and three other girls/women will be doing the babysitting for about 35 kids ages 12 months up, while Molly and Jack will be at the hotel watching the rest of our kids.  I hope all goes smoothly.  I am bringing assorted toys and movies for them to watch.  Beyond that, I'd like to say the rest is up to those in charge, but I'll have to restrain myself from going up and checking on the babysitters.  Since this is likely the one and only time Tim will have his own unit ball, I really want to enjoy it with him and the Marines and their spouses. 

To tie the last two paragraphs together, I recently purchased some "wonderwear".  They are called Spanx, and they are supposed to pull you all together, from upper waist to mid-thigh, to give the illusion of firmness and fitness, with no visible underwear lines or muffin top.  I will wear them tonight under my ball gown.  Every time I put them on (which is best done in the bathroom, away from the mirror, with the door locked), I can't help but think this is what it must be like to work in a sausage factory.  Stuffing 30 extra pounds into spandex is the only sausage stuffing we'll have this holiday!  But I will be making a bag of Pepperidge Farm bread stuffing for my husband........

Happy Thanksgiving!