I Made It!!

As many of you predicted, I made it through the surgery alive and well. I've had more entertaining experiences in my life, and won't be signing up to do that again any time soon. But, it's done and I'm still here and (wonder of wonders) I can actually breathe without hearing the air squeak through my compressed windpipe. It's fabulous.

The surgery went well, except for the part where they couldn't find a vein to give me an IV. The anesthesiologist said he'd seen bigger veins in children. So, they ended up giving me a central line, which is a big tube in your neck through which they can administer medications and draw blood. A very disconcerting feeling, as it's done while you're still awake. But, they got all but a small portion of the damn thyroid out. They had to leave a very small part because it was entirely too close to a nerve. We will have the results of the biopsy in a week. So, keep your fingers crossed.

So, I'm (mostly) back to my level of activity presurgery already. Yesterday was a frenzy of baking assisted by the most wonderful Erin the God, or Archaeogoddess, or whatever the heck you want to call her. We spent the day up to our elbows in cookie dough and gingerbread dough. Exhausting, but fun.

Cassidy, my adorable little girl who is way too smart for my comfort, spent the weekend with her aunt and uncle in San Jose. Her uncle, who will be a father himself in a few months, got a preview of what the future holds when he took her to a holiday street fair, which in previous years was merely a set of dazzling displays of Christmas lights and Christmas scenes. This year, however, they added carnival rides. Now, most of my readers don't have seven year old children, so let me let you in on a little secret. Children cannot see carnival rides and then not go on them without thinking their lives are over. And my child, more manipulative than most, is especially good at making up reasons why she must ride the rides or her life as she knows it is over. She tried every possible ploy to get her uncle, who like the rest of us doesn't have money to just throw around on things like 30 second crappy carnival rides, to buy her tickets. Finally, she told him she was embarrassed because she was the "only kid" not riding the rides, and furthermore since he had offered to buy her a hot chocolate at the beginning of the outing, he clearly had money. I, of course, am horrified and embarassed, her uncle felt like crap, which was, of course, her ultimate goal, and Cassidy has long since forgotten the incident altogether.

Now, the thing is, everyone thinks they want smart kids. But smart kids are actually much harder to deal with than you might imagine. They are manipulative and sneaky, which all kids are to some extent, but smart kids have logic on their side as well. You can't lie to them, because they figure it out. You end up having to say "because I said so, that's why" despite the fact that this was the answer you hated most as a child. Cassidy doesn't even ask why anymore when I tell her no, she simply launches into a three to five minute speech about I should change my mind and let her do whatever it is she wants to do at that moment. And her reasons are usually valid and she presents herself very well, but you can't just give in every time a seven year old wants something. Then you end up with children that everyone for miles around wants to smack around.

So, okay, wish for smart kids or strong willed kids or independant kids. But god (or whoever) help you should you end up with a child that is all of the above.