coincidences

Coincidences, I'm really fascinated by them. I love it when people use them in books and movies....those chance happenings where so many things have to fall in place for one significant thing to happen or the same thing happening to two different people and different places, times whatever. Randomness? Some weird cosmic pattern we mere mortals can't see?

Here are my two recent experiences from the 'wow that was weird' files:

The other day I was in the school library printing off the PowerPoint presentations for my patho class. I screwed up and instead of doing 6 slides to a page I printed out one 'cell' per page so had like 40 pages. I went to the front desk to pay for it and to ask if they have a more industrial stapler. She opened the drawer and I saw my cell phone....I had NO idea it was lost, I just thought it was immersed in the clutter of my car....my phone is easily recognizable because the antennae is exposed as I dropped it awhile ago and the casing fell off....

so many things had to fall in place for me to find a phone I didn't even know was lost..I mean I KNOW how to print 6 cells to a page, I just pushed print before I reconfigured....

bizarro

Next story
Jake needed stitches last night....He's okay. He was jumping around on wet concrete showing his cousin what he was going to do when he got his trampoline (our first trampoline injury and we don't even one yet); then he slipped and fell on his chin. Four stitches later and doing fine we took him by his grandmother's to show her and his aunt and uncle that he was fine (this happened at his cousin's birthday party). She reminds Jason that on his 8th birthday he needed stitches...Jake is two days away from his 8th birthday....We should ask if Jason's father needed stitches around that time...maybe there's a curse against the Zimmer boys, passed back from their European days where when the boys turn 8 something happens? Just another weird thing with no explanation...

Anyone else out there with weird coincidences? A cascade of events that have to occur for one thing to happen?

ooooh projects

I don't have many talents...but one talent I have is stealing other people's ideas...(I will give them credit, Dodi and Martha) At another friend's 40th birthday they came up with this idea of making t-shirts for her kids to wear coming out of school. So I made up some t-shirts for Katrina's 40th and here they are (she doesn't read my blog...shame on her, so it's safe to post before her party).














Other stuff We've done and I forgot to post pictures in the past few months:
One whole scrapbook layout completed with journaling and everything...have other pages completed without journaling, but this one was all done...woo hoo. Martha was doing a challenge off of a scrap booking idea website and I decided to join in...I guess I need homework assignments for my crafts too...BTW love scrap booking weekends away with my buddies (just wish BFF, Shannon was there too).
Valentine's day...ok, so this was a while ago, but these turned out so cute. Jake and I melted different colors in heart shaped moulds and then we put a tag on them saying 'you color my world' and the boys gave them as their valentine favors. Another stolen idea from a Family Fun magazine.


Last day of school. All the B-track 1st graders took a walk around the neighborhood and a neighbor and I put together a water balloon game and some snacks (they stopped at other houses on the way, we were the last)

Here's Martha's youngest, he just got the water balloon into the "pitching zone" of our baseball player guy.

Oh Ann do you have to be so MEAN?

I'm sure you've all heard by now the little nastiness that happened between Coulter and Mrs. Edwards when Mrs. Edwards politely asked to keep her dead kid out of the mudslinging in an unsolicited and unknown to John Edwards call to Hardcopy. Coulter, in a very 7 year old way (I say this because my 7 year old uses the same huffy end of argument approach himself), says (and this isn't verbatim, but close) "Well, I guess Elizabeth Edwards doesn't want me to invoke my 1st amendment rights and speak"....UMMM, Mrs. Edwards didn't tell her to shut up, she just said keep it away from her children....a reasonable request.

I love hearing reasonable dialogue of reasonable people on both sides of the issue, it helps me clarify my own position. I'm not even a proponent of Edwards, have really nothing against the guy, just not sure he has what we need for the commander and chief. I just don't think saying things like "hope Edwards gets killed in an assassination attempt" does much to help us think about the issues, it just riles people up and REALLY do we need to be riled up like that? How about getting riled up about REAL issues. Which I won't go into because we all have our own picks....and Coulter should pick one and use her writing talent to win people over to whatever issue she lands on....but lady I can't listen to the name calling, the mean digs and the little whiny huffs claiming that she was just told not to speak when she was just told to leave the very personal, very painful death of a child out of it....one small, personal, insignificant to the presidential race, piece of information....

OK, normally don't get political, not that kind of gal, but I got pissed....a disclaimer here, not really caring who believes in what. I really think we are blessed to live in a country where our beliefs are our own and we should be respectful in sharing those beliefs with others and respectful in hearing them. I don't think it gives us a license to go to the unreasonable, unkind and personally painful depths that Coulter just did.

Now that that's out of the way...about ME.
I went to the professor's office (who is btw also the head of the science dept.) He was not there, but there were two teary eyed students waiting for him. I pulled up a chair and asked "Patho test" two nods yes. Both failed also (one failing the other assignments too...wow that sucks). Another one of the profs comes walking by, we mention our prof. not there. He looks at us and you can so tell he wants to escape....but we, being desperate, corner him. They are dropping a couple of the questions BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT IN OUR READING and they still have to grade the short answer portion, so maybe I didn't fail? Maybe I got a D. I did show Prof my notes as proof I was studying.....get this, he says I'M STUDYING TOO HARD. Huh?

But really, why study, I think I could have done better with the close your eyes and pick, or there hasn't been a choice 'b' in awhile I'll choose 'b' method, then actually learning the stuff....He mentioned something about resting your brain and giving it a chance for the info to absorb and the whole study smarter not more...seems a bit fishy, but he's a neurologist so he may know of what he is speaking.

I go study now...wish me luck.

curious kids

I should be happy that my child wants to learn new things, see what happens if (fill in blank), and all the other stuff parents say about curious children....but have you ever had to clean goo out of a freezer? The other day Jake decided that he would put a half finished glass bottle of orange soda, filled with a bunch of jelly beans into the freezer to see what would happen. I think it may be a physics thing, not sure, maybe chemistry???? but what happened is that the bottle exploded and nasty greenish thing globby goo went all over the freezer. How I found it? I went to get a nice cup of cold ice water and instead of ice in my cup I got green sludge, it was right out of a science fiction movie, involving Blob and/or nuclear waste in the title. He was, I must add, quite proud of himself.

Sometimes you just gotta laugh.....which brings me to my next picture, I'm so excited how the clematis vine is working. I put in one of those garden chachkees and the vine grew nicely around that; very picturesque if I do say so myself...pat on back.

AND....I so need it, I failed another Patho test and this time I put in about 50 hours of study time in two weeks. The class average is D- (for the class, not just the tests) so I tell myself it's not me...but really would anyone else believe that about themselves? I can't imagine I'm harder on myself then other people are? You should see the discussion board online, people are LIVID. I'm more of the beat myself up and be sad type myself so I'm self editing my comments on the discussion board....I'm looking at the bright side and being grateful that I only ate 5 oreos instead of the whole entire package of them.

breathe

relax

laugh

In fear of reciprocal sassy comments

I better blog before Ms. Martha gets on me....after all I just made a sassy comment on hers and she emailed me and of course HAS already posted pictures of our beautiful children (see her blog, link below) on their last days of FIRST GRADE, can you believe it!

I am off to a crafty weekend and a celebration of a friend's 40th...woo hoo, can I add, one more year for me...not yet there, I will most likely mention that to said friend, probably more than once, because, well, I can be a snot! It's amazing anyone likes me.

BUT...Jake and I had a wonderful post first grade lunch at PF Changs (no relation to our friends the Changs) and discussed his whole year ...here, his recap was in two sentences..."yeah, I liked writing and gym. Mr. Kampling was a good teacher." Hmmmm. Strong silent type? He excelled in gym....hmmm, eyesbrows raised, whose kid is HE?

ok, gotta go pick the kiddos up and then I'm outta here.

My brain. Very scary

The challenge: Just write. Stream of consciousness. Doesn't matter if it even makes sense. Who cares if it flows. Just start. Just type whatever pops into your brain. Go

hmmm where do I even start, my coffee, it's so damn early in the morning and this going to soy milk, even vanilla soy milk is really NO substitution for that nice chemically goodness of hazelnut creamer....sigh, but my quest for healthier living, of course what excuse do I have for the oreos last night? oh they were reduced fat. I can't believe ...i before e...I hate those words...I'm doing this instead of my TB report, what the fuck was I thinking taking these two classes together, I should get a prize at the end of this semester, 6 hellish weeks to go, I can't wait, I am enjoying the learning but wish I had more time to actually do the learning, heck I wish I had time to do the dishes, but here I am doing this. I wonder how ethical it is to cannibalize my TB report from Micro? How do you spell consciousness anyway, I suck at spelling thank goodness for spell check. I so the hell don't want to take this test today!

oh, look at that, my consciousness has a potty mouth. I wonder what that would have sounded like if someone was stoned? or on cocaine?

How is that fair?

I just don't get it sometimes, why some people are treated one way and faced some of the same set of circumstances another person is treated much worse. Our very own National Jewish hospital has been in the news lately because of its new guest, TB patient, Andrew Speaker (and, puhlease isn't Speaker a perfect name for an attorney? He should go into politics, change his middle name to Double....oh I digress). So, he's told to stay put but since it was a suggestion and not an order he gallivants all over Europe, and a border guard, with all of his medical savvy figures Speaker is okay and lets him cross. Speaker goes on a couple transatlantic flights and potentially infects loads and loads of people....and not even potentially, but really scares the crap out of those loads and loads of people

--Another digression, if you're asymptomatic it's very very difficult to spread the disease -- so scare, yes, infect, no.

Then there's This poor schmuck in Arizona, who also has drug-resistant TB, forgets to put on his face mask, he's caught on a convenience store video and is thrown into jail, indefinitely.

It's too bad his new father-in-law isn't a TB expert for the CDC.

OK, off to finish my TB report (thus the above info...not the focus of my report, but do you really want to hear about how the immune function works on Mycrobacterium tuberculosis?) And yeah, it's Saturday night, like I have a life this summer?

and, yes, that was bitter.

one more year!

Today (happy birthday to me) I have exactly one year left of my thirties...WOW. And now officially only 10 years younger then my mother. The big 4-0 is looming ahead of me. I'm a bit excited and a little apprehensive. But then it doesn't really matter how I feel about it, I can't keep it from happening. I think my 40's will be exciting, a new career, my kids older and seeing how they grow and learn more who they will be as adults. Growing closer to my husband. Not taking as much grief from people, being more confident in my own decisions and abilities...heck my forties are going to be great....even so, I still have another year to prepare and frankly tease those of my friends who are already there!

Is it Wednesday already?

Wow, what a week, it already feels like the end of the week to me and it's only Wednesday morning. As you all know I bombed (I mean REALLY) my first test in patho. I've been getting emails from fellow online-classmates that I may not be the only one...can you say CURVE, cross your fingers! A&P....now those two tests (Monday for lecture and Tuesday for Lab)....I'm pretty sure I did well (woo hoo). So now I'm catching up with laundry. My life is so freaking exciting, why do I even blog?

OK, so the fun stuff. We got together last night and watched the first show of the Big Love season. Thank you Shaina for use of your home and TIVO. We did have our resident (though monogamous) Mormon help us out with some of the terminology, like 'Priesthood Holder????' The man of the house who is responsible for the spiritual well being of his family. The meaning of being 'sealed' and that you can actually be 'unsealed' and it costs a lot less then a Catholic annulment. But she did not know the origin of Jack Mormon (the meaning we all knew as a Mormon by culture but not by faith, like a Christmas/Easter Christian, Yom Kippur Jew or a Cafeteria Catholic...Martha looked it up on Wikipedia (LOVE Wiki) -- has something to do with the sympathisers in Jackson County, MO. So who knew a group of suburban housewives getting together to watch a cable evening soap opera got a little book learnin'.

The thing I took away from the show was how we sometimes think others are thinking badly of us, but in truth they're so worried about what you are thinking of THEM. It kind of boils down being so scared of looking badly to others that you don't realize everyone has the same fear. Even insecurities can be a little narcissistic.

ok, my deep thought for the day. Gotta get back on the study bandwagon.

Stuff

It's four in the morning, Isaac has gotten up three times already and now is sleeping on the floor beside me. He came into the study/guestroom a few minutes ago demanding that I give him the toy I bought him. I finally told him I had no idea what he was talking about and he threw his hands up in disgust and said he must have just dreamed the whole thing.

Jason' s aunt emailed me this water art piece it was really interesting.

I failed my first online Patho test. Studied the way wrong things. I wonder how other people did? It's hard not having that interaction with fellow students or the interaction with the teacher to see what he/she emphasizes. Is it bad to hope all did poorly and they'll grade on a curve? When left to my own devices, I gravitate to the things that are interesting to me....like genetics and birth defects....not so much sodium/potassium/calcium balances (guess what was the heavy balance of the test ---- not sex linked-chromosomal disorders...I could have answered those questions!). It sucks to actually study hard and not do well.

Now....on to studying for my A&P2 test today, then the lab quiz tomorrow.
Tuesday afternoon I'm gonna RELAX and not THINK about school; you will find me mixing a batch of Mojitos to enjoy with the neighborhood 'sister wives' while we take in the premier of Big Love(thank you Shaina for the use of your tivo). And yeah yeah, it's getting mediocre reviews but I am strangely fascinated by it, at times repulsed, and at times envious of the whole family dynamic they have created on that show. I'm not much fond of critics, see
Colleeno's blog to see why.

Second Guessing

Tonight is anti-date night...all the kiddos are over here. They're happily playing in the back yard without incident (knock on wood I may have just jinxed myself) and I find myself thinking that maybe I could have had a large family.....Naaa.

I had this long post ready to go.....so glad I didn't hit 'publish post' because it was pretty much just whining....so here's the gist.

I have great friends who know I am a flawed human being and still like me. I'm a lucky woman. Even knowing this, I "hear" the voice of a toxic, narcissistic, sociopathic ex-friend somehow making me out to be a bad guy. I really need to learn to believe when the people around me say they are fine with what happened (it sounds like something bad...it's not, I just bailed on a babysitting promise).

I was horrible at this whole knowing how to 'play' the smile and mean something else game in high school and I haven't gotten any better at it now!

so...
Thank you Martha for being a blunt person, I like knowing where I stand with you, and I so admire how dedicated you are to your family.
Thank you Colleen for being so nice and laid back and really not caring when plans change...you go with the flow, that's great.
Thank you Katrina for being understanding and gracious when things don't go as planned.
Aimee, you have a great sense of humor, and thank you so much for that Strong stand by your friend personality that you have.
Shaina and Gina, I'm so lucky to have both of you as sister-in-laws not many people can boast of even one person they would chose to be in their family and I can say I have two I would most definitely have chosen!

I love my friends, they love me...sociopathic narcissistic toxic b*&^c can BITE ME.

now that's good therapy.

So much homework

Okay, just so you can feel sorry for me. I just finished a paper, still have a test to take by Sunday (okay, online class is kind of cool). For A&P2 I have a test in lecture and an assignment due on Monday. In lab on Tuesday, another test, a digestive enzyme report and two pre-labs due.

Soooo.....I decided to blog and then I'm going to go watch my eldest do field day, then help a friend out and watch her kids this afternoon. Then back on track TOMORROW.

This paper I just wrote was about how a cell may react to the cold. I had absolutely NO idea what I was supposed to write about? I mentioned something about slowing down life functions such as DNA replication and energy metabolism (ATP production and cellular respiration). Not sure that's what he wanted, not sure what I wrote was even correct. While writing this paper, it was hard not to think of the funner papers I got to write when I was a Creative Writing major......then I remember one huge, BIG, stupid mistake I made on one of my stories in one of my workshops. One of those mistakes, you don't even know is a mistake until you talk to someone from that class a couple semesters later.....Now, in case you would like a chuckle I will share the mistake with you.. Our professor TOLD us to never never write a story from a dream because you may not realize what you're really saying. Well, I was 20 something, foolish and knew better and I had had a GREAT dream. I woke up excited, energized and had to write it down immediately. I did and worked for hours crafting a story of this primitive culture and of a woman who longed for a lover who had died and a child who could never be. In my humble opinion, at the time, it was a brilliant story. An A+ for sure. Yes, I did get the lecture about writing about your dreams because of what they could reveal, got a couple puzzled looks from the other students but this did not make me think any less of my story, after all WHAT DID THEY KNOW (oh my gosh being 20ish is great for your ego, you really do know everything).

Now, the conversation a couple of semesters after that workshop; I was speaking to a fellow student, who blurts out that that was one erotic story I had written.....Erotic? HUH? I verified that it was indeed the same story, blushed a little and wondered if he was a perv? Holy cow, then it hits me -- A woman drowning in her own sorrow symbolized by deep pools of dark mysterious water, in the middle of a cave pool connected to the ocean by a tunnel. Yup, I had just written surreal porn. Color me fiery freakin' RED.

And yet, I still would have rather turned that story in then the paper I wrote on cells.

Wannabe Artist

This week's blog challenge (thank you Martha):

"Every child is an artist.The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."-Pablo PicassoReflect on this quote. What was the first piece of art your created? Were you artistic as a child? Did you love to color? Did you learn any art forms - needle arts, painting, sculpting? Did anyone nurture your creativity? Were you drawn to any specific type of art? Has your child created something that he was proud of? Are you still an artist today? In what way? Do you consider scrapbooking an art? Choose any aspect you like, but incorporate a childhood artist somehow into your story. Dig deep, and have fun discovering your forgotten childhood artist!

I've always wanted to be an artist. I'm particularly drawn to the artist lifestyle, there's a certain amount of freedom that is so not me but I so admire in others. Even the way some dress. There's that look in their faces of being off in another world, dreamy, soft. As a child, I doodled a LOT and designed rooms, houses on paper, in cardboard boxes. Each time I constructed a new cardboard home my sister would want to play with it. That was fine by be, the fun was the designing it. My favorite barbie accessories where those that decorated that very cool barbie condo from the 70's. Loved doll HOUSES, not dolls, but the houses. I fancied I would be a decorator or designer. My first love (and still is) was decorating.

In high school and college I switched to writing. I really enjoyed constructing stories and putting them on paper. I liked it, I was okay at it, made it my major. But realized I didn't have the passion to make my rudimentary talent into something great, or even publishable. So I just do it for fun on the blog now, and a clever line or two in a dry science paper for school.

Currently I love to scrapbook. It involves, color, texture and most importantly my family and memories. I don't need a lot of space, uninterrupted time or even a little studio. So it helps with my internal wannabe artist for the moment.

While in Kansas a couple years ago I discovered a love for mosaics. WOW, I can't wait to finish our basement and have my own little studio. It was so fun. Again, I don't fancy myself an artist, just a crafter, but I do believe when I mosaic I have the dreamy look of an artist. It gives me that whole mind body connection. And I get to wear over sized shirts that I wipe my messy hands on.

I read a book by Elizabeth Berg, I can't remember the name. The main character was a quilter. She described her quilting space and spoke of the colors, the textures the abundance of cloth and it reminded me of how I felt about collecting plates (to break) ,tiles and little chachkees.

My next goal....learning how to quilt, which is pretty much mosaics with cloth. I'm even saving my favorite outfits from the boys to make a quilt for them when they get married. I'm also saving their sports t-shirts to patchwork a comforter for when the go to college.

OK, so part of any artistic pursuits I have is in the dreaming of what could be.

Spotlight Meme

I got tagged by Valiens to answer a portion and/or all of the questions posed on Christy's coffee house so here it goes:

What are my feelings on the blog popularity issue:
I had no idea there were popularity contests on blogs, but I figure it's like high school. Your best bet is to do what you love with integrity, be respectful and courteous and not care what others are doing or thinking of you.

Are you a spiritual person:
Yes. I have a strong belief system but do not assume that all people should share that, or think that they are wrong for not believing what I do. It is my choice and it's 'place' from which I gather strength, peace and wisdom. I am not a sheep; I am not chattel; I have been known, on occasion, to even think for myself.

Best/worst qualities:
My best quality is that I know I have no worst qualities
hahaha, I crack myself up. Really, my best quality is that I can laugh at myself, as well as others. I don't take myself or anyone else too seriously and it takes a long time for my fuse to blow, but when it does it leads right to my worst quality. Worst quality is that I hold on to hurts, mull them over, analyze them, share them with all, way too long and too much.

Favorite childhood memory:
Christmastime. Our house would be decorated. We would socialize with a bunch of people. My parents would invite anyone who didn't have a place to go over on Christmas Eve. We would pull out card tables, stack boxes for tables, anything that you could put a table cloth over and we would place them all over the house and decorate each table. One year we had three or four in the living room, a couple in the front hall and in the kitchen. No overhead lights, just candles and lamps and a fire in the fireplace. Then we would leave the house a mess and go to Midnight Mass and St. Johns Cathedral (beautiful Gothic style Episcopal church in Denver). We would come home and my sister and I would open one present each, then go to bed. It was magical.

Okay, I tag all those who even read this....it's not a popular blog, and that's okay, I didn't start blogging to become popular.

NOW, I do believe I've procrastinated enough and I must go work on my pathophysiology.

time? time? who has some?

started school, holy cow!
so I'll just do a quick little post about an overheard conversation. In my class this girl (and no, I'm not in any way being derogatory, she was a GIRL) said to her friend.

"I feel so behind the curve, I graduated high school in 2001 and I'm still in school, can you believe it?"

Bwahahaha

Closed?

Jason and I have this thing where we end up going places that are closed. When we took the family to South Dakota it was about a week too late and except for Mt. Rushmore everything else was closed. When we went to Madrid some of the places we really wanted to see were closed (note, if you go to Madrid, almost everything is closed Sunday and Monday). We still had good times, we ended up taking a tour to Toledo and loved it! Two nights ago we started our weekend getaway with a massage, dinner and then a nice night time drive to the Springs. Saturday morning we wake up and decide to go to the art museum (something we could do with out the kids more enjoyably) which is about 1/2 a mile away (from the hotel) walking along a street with some great old houses in craftsman and Victorian styles. We get there and it's closed (nothing on the website indicating that it was closed by the way). We just had to laugh, our luck. So we went shopping. We found a specialty shoe shop and I got some Dainskos which I keep reading is pretty essential for nursing (or any job where you are on your feet a lot), Jason picked up some hiking sandals. We checked out some neat antique shops with some northern European antiques....wow, wish I had a few extra dollars to spend there! We ate lunch at the hole in the wall Persian place, best hummus ever. They spiced it with something called sumac, I think they may have roasted their garlic too before mixing it in the hummus. We came back and took a THREE HOUR NAP. Dinner at this great German Place Edelweiss lots of rustic charm and live polka music. OK, about to get politically incorrect here....Jason's last name is Zimmer, German for room. So when we made the reservation the lady, in her German accent told Jason, 'oooh, nice German name'. When he got off the phone he said maybe we'll get a discount. I replied, "doubtful, their people burned your people" He did laugh (we're warped I KNOW) and replied "well I'll just get them back by being rude" (which is impossible for Jason to do!). But really the food was great, and the people there very hospitable!
Then we came back to the hotel, drank some wine, 7 Deadly Zins, (not bad and I'm not a fan of reds, the sweeter the better for me, which makes me so NOT a wine person) sat in the hot tub awhile and fell asleep again.

A weekend away with two stressed out people apparently involves a lot of sleep....and that's okay!

Fifteen Years Already?

Our anniversary is on the 29th and so we're going away this weekend......woo hoo. We're just headed off to Colorado Springs for some R&R, at this point I don't even care if we 'hole up' in the hotel room and rent movies the whole time; it'll just be nice spending some alone time with hubby.

Jake's been having bad stomach aches and the doctor put him on some Prevacid to see if that helps. I feel really bad, poor kid was doubled over in pain a couple nights ago and I felt so helpless. When he was feeling better I asked him if he felt different recently, if there was something that was making him sad or stressed out. He told me that I stressed him out....HOLY COW..... So I asked what he meant, bracing myself for something horrible and he says, 'Sometimes I want ice cream and you say no' (and he was serious).

pause
hahahahahaha

I told him to go ahead and tell the doctor that

Oh and Isaac....isn't four a great age, we were walking home from the park and he stepped on a roly poly and he said 'mom, I killed a holy moly' hahahha.

ok, can you tell how easily amused by my children I am.....

Spring

I mentioned how in my love/hate post that I just love my front yard in the Spring...thought I'd show you why (Martha you were right, it was the perfect light to take the photos).

Whose Kid is That Anyway

Look how sweet he looks, how could he be so devilish??????
What a goofball!

It was a full day yesterday. Jake stayed home sick, stomach issues. Took Jason to the airport the little ones to preschool, Jake then to the doctor. Turns out he has acid reflux, sheesh, he's only seven. Then went to the soccer league office and signed them both up for soccer. Where they date and stamped my application, wanted the boys birth certificates and some hefty size checks...who knew soccer was such a big deal. As I left the office I overheard two women talking about coaches and whose team was better and what position their kids played etc. Am I cut out to be a soccer mom? yikes. So then go pick up the other kiddos at school. Since Jake wasn't sick sick took him to baseball, then got the kids hair cut, went to Anthony's Pizza....and here's where it gets interesting.

I'm putting together the box for our left over pizza, Jake, the waitress and I are all right there. I feel Isaac climbing on the chair behind me, I assume to pounce on me and demand a piggy back ride so I don't pay much attention to him and concentrate on the box (my bad) all of the sudden there's this weird alarm sound and flashing lights...ISAAC SET OFF THE FIRE ALARM. The girls behind the counter call 911 to tell them it's a false alarm but the firemen have to come anyway and they asked that we stay there too. So the firemen come bringing axes and the rest of the gear (the boys were in awe). They don't have the right key for the fire alarm box and so we stay out there another 10 minutes or so until they get it all off. They they ask who did it, we all point to Isaac (I might add that Jake was the most gleeful about pointing out it was his brother). Isaac puts on his most pitiful face (and he's quite good at that) and the older fireman there tells him the importance of not doing things like that and if anything looks quite that good and fun to play with he should ask his family first. When he's done, Isaac asks if he's going to go to jail. A couple of the other firemen and some of the kitchen staff who were outside for a bit had to turn their heads to keep from laughing.

Oh my, the things they DON'T tell you about the joys of being a mom.

blog challenge love/hate

love/hate with the 5 senses

LOVE:
the SIGHT of my front garden and porch in the spring with everything blooming.
the SMELL of hazelnut coffee brewing in the morning.
the TASTE Anthony's cheese pizza with an extra dash of garlic powder.
the SOUND of the waves hitting the rocks on the Pacific Coast or a full rushing creek in the Rocky Mountains
the FEEL of a cool brisk mornings in the Fall, just before it gets really cold.

HATE:
the SIGHT of someone in pain, emotionally or physically
the SMELL of swampy standing water....GAG, ick
the TASTE of my mouth when I have a really bad cold....again, GAG
the SOUND of someone yelling at the kids, not in the regular 'I've just had it' but those deep hurtful life altering things.
the FEEL of losing my temper with the children and seeing their little perplexed faces!

Lindsey needs another birthday party

Uh-oh, Hannah had Isaac's favorite teddy bear, Junie, for a mid morning snack yesterday.

Poor Junie has no eyes or ears anymore. Isaac made him at a Build a Bear birthday party last March (Lindsey's birthday party). Given how upset he was I kept myself from saying, "And that's why you don't leave your stuffed animals in the Family room" Pat on back for good mother moment.

Not sure you can see the big crocodile tear here. He was so upset at one point, in Isaac drama fashion, he started shaking Junie, yelling, "Speak to me. Speak to me" I thought he might throw the bear down and start preforming chest compressions.

Abi, wanting to make things better declares, "Well, Lindsey just needs a new birthday party"

All is forgiven

Volunteer Nazis

Busy busy day yesterday and I was feeling like crappola, a couple decades of not sleeping well will do that to you. Got Jake to baseball practice, he's doing great and more importantly he has fun doing it and likes the guys on his team and the coach. I like the moms on the team --even better! Jason got off work early to watch and I ran to the grocery store. I actually COOKED dinner last night-- chicken curry, Jason's favorite. Because of baseball and running to the grocery store, then the sporting good store, dinner was a bit later then usual, 7ish --so I can't quite blame THEM for calling at dinner time, because it wasn't really dinner time, I guess.

So I get this call:
Volunteer Nazi (VN): I have a huge favor to ask of you!
ME: (after a silent prayer that someone wasn't going to ask me to do something) Ummm, what is it?
VN: Could you take over the community welcome baskets (I just got rid of those suckers two months ago!)
ME: No, (did you get that people, I actually said the word NO, how proud are you! save it though because I cave later) No, I can't I've got 8 credit hours this summer, I'm still watching Abi a couple days a week and we're going out of town twice this summer, not to mention, baseball for one and swimming for the other and I'm still volunteering at church and at the school (and I wonder why I have an exhaustion problem)
VN: But it's really easy, it'll hardly take any time at all. And you won't have to come to any social committee meetings.
ME: (wanting to say -- then why don't YOU do it)....sigh --- pause --- sigh, OK, how many are there a month.
VN: we're averaging one a month.
ME: sigh, (another silent prayer here that I can say no again) The classes I'm taking this summer are really hard.
VN: but this is really easy.
ME: Ok, fine (AHHHHHHHH-that's me screaming in my head) but I'm not going to do anything until September -- so don't put anything in the newsletter until then!
VN: Oh, I could kiss you (and if I was a lesbian that would be great, she is pretty, but I'm not and so the WASP side of waspina nature gave her a big ol' no thank you)

So, passive aggressive me will win out and I'm going to start doing those welcome baskets MY WAY.

I did get off easier then colleeno in that I wasn't called a LIAR. These people are relentless! Of course that may come from having such a small volunteer pool. So volunteer people, so I won't have to! --- of course those of you in the community that read this already volunteer, so I'm preaching to the choir.

Words

A new blog challenge (kind of like a meme) from Martha:

Words can be powerful. Think of an occasion when someone blessed you with their words. (Conversely, words can be powerfully hurtful, too. Write about one of those instances if you must, but try to think of a positive memory instead.) Describe the circumstances surrounding the words that were powerful to you. Who said it? How did you react? How does it affect you today.

Normally I would jump at the chance to write about something funny and entertaining. But I've been wrestling with words and their meaning a lot in the last week. Maybe because mother's day was so recent, maybe because of some conversations with different family members that recently happened, I don't know? But I've been thinking about the words I said to my mother, almost 18 years ago in a family therapy session and how those words have impacted her. I've been reevaluating the benefit of confronting those who have hurt you. Does it really do any good, can it do more harm? I'm not exactly feeling guilty. I wasn't intending to hurt I was just addressing my hurt. It was rehearsed and approved by the therapist. The therapeutic session was beneficial to me; I realized that my step-father argued with my mother about her decision to give up custody of us (always good to know that the "steps" aren't always evil) and my mother explained that it had nothing to do with me or my typical nine year old behavior (for the longest time I struggled with the idea I wasn't good enough, which pretty much landed me in the eating-disorder clinic where the therapy session happened). So this was all helpful to me, but what did it do to my mother? I think she convinced herself she made the best decision for all of us; she did have two new babies to take care of, a new marriage, a new business, a new town. I hated living in Miami and I missed my father in Denver. All of these things translated to her that she was making a sacrificial decision in my sister's and my behalf. It translated a bit differently to me. Did me exposing my hurt and feelings of abandonment make her question her decision? Question her ability to mother? Was it at that moment she began to wrestle with guilt that has slowly eaten away at her and has made her more of a shell of a person? Someone who doesn't laugh as much? Cry as much? Doesn't feel as much? Someone who is in a self-induced protected shell. Was this just the last straw in a series of painful moments in her life? Did what I say to her that day effect how she mothered my brothers from that point on (they would have been young teens at the time).

Words can be powerful. They can make you cry, they can produce patriotic fervor, they can make you laugh. But silence.......silence, the silence in the moment before you speak the words, the moment when you think am I doing harm or good with these words? The silence when you choose NOT to say the words that could change a person's life for the worse. Silence before you say the words that are swarming in your head in the midst of anger. Silence can be so much more powerful.

this is AMAZING

We're walking home from school today and Isaac (he doesn't want to be called Zac anymore..boo hoo) says to me:

Mom, this is amazing (looks up into the sky) I'm only four years old and I can make clouds move with my eyes....look (squints at sky) See that one right there? (points to only floating wispy cloud in the sky) see it move? I'm making it move.

I need a picture of him looking into the sky pointing or something for the scrapbook.

I'm an idiot

I was talking to my sis-in-law and she asked if I realized that the whole Landover church thing was a joke...I HAD NO IDEA. I was sent only the letter (linked below), didn't see much else on the website because I thought it was serious and was so horrified I didn't want to stay on the website any longer...My Bad. I got back on to the home page and it's sort of like a religious Onion (a fun publication). So my 'shame on you' letter from a couple posts ago makes absolutely no sense! The sad thing is you hear about people who really think that people are deserving of God's wrath in that horrific way. My believing that made me realize: one, I probably am more naive then I'd like to believe and two, I'm also a bit more cynical about people then I thought...kind of oxymoronish, emphasis on moron...

I have so many things on my 'list' for the three weeks that I'm off before school starts again that I feel overwhelmed and as such have nothing done! I woke up at three in a panic and have managed to clean the kitchen! I'm going to try and get the first floor spic and span and the laundry finished today so that I can concentrate on the Herculean task of my study and gasp...going through the kids clothes and finding out what they've grown out of and what they need for the summer. Oh and putting chicken wire along the fence line, because cute, adorable Hannah is trying to dig her way out of the yard and into her 'boyfriend's' Chance's yard. Chance's parents not to happy because Chance is not a digger. Not one of our prouder doggie parent moments. The trainer did tell us if we put chicken wire down, she won't dig in those spots and she suggested that we make her a digging spot, so that's on the list for this weekend.

Of course, to make this all harder, Jason's under some serious pressure at work and has been working late and is going out of town in a couple of weeks --DC, oh maybe he can visit my brother and sis in law (not same sis in law mentioned above).

There you go a boring post about how stressed, naive and cynical I am. Aren't you glad you stopped by.
Next post, pictures.

i'm obsessing!

ok, I've re-added (for the fourth time) and I'm at 88% NOT 89% and now won't feel so bad about missing that A by only .003 of a percentage point. It's a good healthy grade for a hard class.

Really I'm done, totally, I know you don't believe me, but now I have TWO whole new classes to obsess about!

Are you kidding me!

Here's my final score .897....003 points away from an A.
I so hope she rounds up!

Letters....

My blog assignment from Martha is to write open ended letters. It's an awesome cathartic thing to do, I had so much fun and encourage some of you out there in blogland to do it too.

Dear Hubster,
I know you think I'm crazy, but I really wish you would be irritated right along side me when the 'culdesac living, poodle owning, nosy, has the perfect daughter' neighbor says something stupid!

*conversation with hubby a couple days ago about newest irritating incident:

Me (M): Doesn't she just bug you?
Hubster (H): No
M: why not
H: I just don't let her get to me
M: Even if she snorted in disgust at you?
H: You snort in disgust at me all the time.
M: (sigh) I really wish she would irritate you like she does me.
H: (laughs) would you listen to yourself


Dear Alpha moms,
Take a Valium! You make it stressful for the rest of us when we don't live up to your volunteer expectations. Sending a 'crisp' email hours before a function about what still needs to be done makes me crazy. If I wanted someone to bark orders at me like that I'd go back to work as a paralegal and work for an ass of an attorney and get paid for it. I'm not going to take that punishment for FREE. So puh-lease, before I drop out of the Hospitality Committee get a prescription for Xanax or Valium or something calming. THIS SHOULD BE FUN! And the other alphas --- THIS IS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, stop freaking out about scores, RECESS is GOOD the children do NOT need to be locked up and drilled for hours. And NO, I'm not a bad mother when I don't force my child to do math sheets daily. They will most likely still get into college -- I did.


Dear School Gods,
Why does the fall semester start THAT Monday? We will either have to leave brother dearest's wedding early and drive a few hours Saturday night or drive Seattle to Denver on Sunday (approx 1000 miles). And thank you for getting me through this semester. Hope you'll still be around for the horrendous summer semester coming up -- Patho and A&P2--Holy Cow!

Dear neighborhood mommies,
I just heart you guys! You're the best, you get me through the day, it's so wonderful relaxing with you over coffee. Thanks for listening, thanks for talking, thanks for just being friends!

What the heck should I make for dinner?

Tomorrow is my final in microbiology. I am so relieved that I'm wandering around the house in a haze. My last few grades have been good (two even perfect scores, woo hoo) but even with that I'm still at a B, a high B but still a B. I'm convinced it's the lowest score in the class, don't ask me why; I'm sure the answer would most likely entail years of Freudian type therapy and I'm just not interested right now. I calculated what I would need to finish with an A and even if I got perfect scores on my final and last assignment I would still be off by 1.3 points. Sooo, I'm just going to relax, because frankly I'd rather not kill myself studying and just be happy with a B. It's part of my relax and don't try and be perfect mentality.

I came upon a realization about Isaac. I've been tossing around the idea of starting him in Kindergarten or not. He's technically old enough but would be one of the youngest. I had to make the same decision with Jake, but given where he was in letters and numbers and just plain interest it was an easy decision. Isaac, not so much, he's right up there in that department with the other kids and most likely would do okay. I finally decided to put him in a pre-k program that's more involved then preschool but not as 'cut throat' (and no, I'm actually NOT being sarcastic) as kindergarten. And even though I really think I have made the right decision, I have a niggling feeling I may be wrong. Then I realized it. It's okay for him to be a child. I really wasn't give that luxury myself and part of me choosing to start the boys a bit later gives them one more year of playing and not worrying about tests, grades, sitting still, listening, and enjoying life one year longer.

On the other side of their 13 years of school, I hope they take a year off, and travel the country, see Europe, play a bit before the rigors of college. I don't want them to feel that success is only measured in money and power. If they have that, great, especially if they want that. I want them to know how to enjoy life, enjoy the process of life, not just look toward a goal and miss the journey. I want them to have what Jason and I did not. I remember when Jason got one of his first jobs out of college and rather than congratulations his mother asked when he was going to be CEO. My father would 'regrade' my A papers and deem them unworthy of an A (ok, so maybe I wouldn't need YEARS of Freudian therapy, there's a red flag right there). With the wisdom of age I understand this was the way our parents felt like they could motivate us it really wasn't intended to deflate our self worth.

I want what every mom wants, I want them to be happy. Who knows, they may need therapy because I didn't push them hard enough.

Now, what to make for dinner? I have no idea, it may be a rotisserie chicken kind of night. Whatever it is, I will enjoy the time we sit together as a family and regale each other with the adventures of the day.

Some days.....

Today I had Abi over (okay I have Abi over every day during the week, but I DON"T do daycare). She and Isaac were happily playing upstairs (yeah right) and I was cleaning downstairs. I was in the kitchen on the phone with Jason and swoosh, I slip on something wet and fall on my back side, breaking the phone in the process (can still talk and hear, it just now rattles). I'm lying on my back, assuring Jason I'm okay and I feel a drip on my face. I get up (thankful, for once, for my ample tush which helped break my fall) and run upstairs. Adorable Abi and Incorrigible Isaac have flooded the bathroom. After quite a bit of lecturing on my part with some guilt trips thrown in, I clean up and make them lunch. After lunch I tell them to clean up Isaac's room. Every so often I call up to them, "Are you cleaning" they answer "yes". About 15 minutes have gone by and I decide to check on their progress. They are both, head to foot, BLUE. And proud of it. Oh my GOSH. At this point, I'm at a loss for words. I get them one by one into the shower, clean them all off (only washable markers in this house, thank goodness). On the upside, I did get to blow dry Abi's hair and use a round brush and put in some Barrett's---something the boys won't let me do. So after both are dried and dressed I proceed to tickle them while exclaiming that "They drive me CRAZY" They just laughed and laughed. Really, they're 4&5 what should I expect of them?

They did get the room cleaned up though.

this and that

I found out yesterday that it's 'teacher appreciation' next week. As co-room mom (and other co-room mom is in Monte Carlo this week, hate her), I had to scramble to write a letter to the other parents asking for donations, pictures and cards,written by the children, for the teacher gift (a scrapbook with messages and pictures of his students). So I was chatting before my Micro class last night about this and then mentioned that the only reason I knew this was coming up is I happen to be on the hospitality committee at school and got an email regarding the change of 'teacher appreciation' week. It was at that moment when facing the raised eyebrows and stares of my fellow Microbiology students that it's no wonder I'm getting only a B in the class. I didn't even mention that I also volunteer in the nursery two Sundays a month at church. And I thought I was being so good at dropping out of the community Social Committee. Me-thinks I will have to drop my volunteering, socializing, coffee drinking with neighbors even more during nursing school---well maybe not coffee time with the neighborhood mommies. This will be a very hard sacrifice for me. I have to keep reminding myself that the field I am choosing is one of service and it's OKAY that I stop being of service (outside the family) for a brief two years in order to accomplish this. right? right?

Now on to the real important matters of life, what shall I make for dinner tonight? We have a freezer full of stuff I could thaw, something with shrimp maybe? Ooooh, shrimp scampi over rice noodles with fresh asparagus and broccoli tossed in? I guess I do know what I want to make for dinner --- love the rice noodles, they're so much lighter and the taste of the scampi comes out more then with regular noodles.

Spring in the Rockies

Today

A couple of days ago

Yesterday, I sent Jake to school with a rain jacket, boy was that a mistake, it was snow boot, heavy coat, hat and mittens weather after school. He made it to the car okay though. Although, and not related to the snow, he did 'toss his cookies--um okay Cheetos' in the back seat of my car. My first thought, "thank goodness this wasn't Jason's brand new car". He's feeling much better today and actually begged to go to school. Woo hoo, that's not his normal state of mind when it comes to school.

My personal opinion, and I'm not sure why the superintendent DIDN'T call me for my expert 'mom' opinion, but it should have been a snow day. Maybe I'm a wuss but it would have been fun to snuggle in and watch the snow melt, drink hot cocoa and have a free day, it's not likely we're going to get another chance at a snow day this year.

Planning forecast....80 this weekend. Where else can you get four seasons in a WEEK.

Doing an Olympic Triathlon

NOOO, not me. LOL. My brother and his wife are doing an Olympic Triathlon to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. The mom of one of Gina's friends recently struggled with a blood cancer and both Gina and Jose wanted to do something worthwhile in her honor. As well as have a reason to train (you can read more about it on her blog). Any how the reason I'm writing about it is because, A. I'm so freaking impressed that both she and my brother are able to do this physical challenge, and B. I think it's a worthwhile cause and thought if anyone should like to donate I'd put the link on my blog too. Oh and it's, of course, tax-deductible:
Gina's team page
Okay, big sister duties done for the month, at least for older-little-bro', younger little bro' and little sis' will have to wait their turn.

The things that kids say

The other day the girl that I watch, Abi (and NO I DON'T DO DAYCARE SO DON'T ASK) says to me, "My mommy takes showers" I answer,"I'm so glad, it's an important thing to do" I'm wondering where she's going with this. Then she says, "Sometimes with my daddy" OHHHH. And I reply, "Yes, sometimes mommies and daddies do that, it helps save water", she says, "they won't let me in" HMMMM, eyebrows raised, don't know what to say, she continues "But this morning they didn't" I wanted to say, "oh was your daddy in a bad mood the rest of the day" But I just changed the subject. Ponies, with little Abi, always a good choice.

Which reminds me of a time when my own son, Jake was having a conversation with his grandmother. She came over so Jason and I could go out. When Jake asked why she was over she said so we could have a date night. Jake said he thought we already had one that day. We looked at him puzzled and asked why he thought that. He said (in front of the grandmother), "You know mom when you and daddy told us to watch cartoons then went upstairs and locked your door." UMMMM, color me red.

Nesting

Jason has been busy cleaning out the garage. There's a crawl space above the garage where he has put down boards so that we can use it as storage and he's moved our Christmas stuff, camping stuff and other stuff up there. He's cleaned off a bunch of shelves. Today he's going to move the freezer to the basement and will rearranged the work bench and shelves. It's been awhile since he's been motivated to do anything around the house. Everything seems to be such a big project, no real one weekend deals. We were talking about that one day and he sheepishly said, 'I'm nesting" OOOOOHHHH, he's preparing the 'nursery' for his new 'baby'. I'm so proud that he's sooo in touch with his feminine side.

growing up

I was reading another blog and she mentioned how adulthood has creeped on her slowly. It was just a small blip in a post about something else entirely but it resonated with me. I have these moments when I look around my life and think, "I'm a grown up." It's hitting more at home right now because after 18 years, Jason has finally gotten a new car. And it's a grown up car, a bit of a man-toy, but grown up none the less. Not his small, Honda civic that was so 'cool' in a geeky kind of way while in college, first job, first house. It stopped being 'cool' but Jason held on to it. Why? he said finances, but was it holding on to that time in his life when the realities of adulthood weren't as prevalent?

You'd think that at almost 40 (a year and two months away) I would have figured out that I am indeed an adult. You would think given my childhood where I took the adult role, more often then not, I would be used to this whole adult thing. I drink coffee, have children, am married, pay the bills, cook, drive a safe car for which I provide maintenance, keep a home , have a retirement plan and paying into college funds, and yet I feel like I'm waiting for adulthood to start. And it struck me, it's not that I don't feel like an adult, I don't feel like I'm living the life I imagined I would while I was in my youth.

I'm not sure I want to live that life either because it looks a lot like a television show (my childhood dream/assumption of what a family should look like). I'm not sure what I want it to look like. Maybe I should be okay with how it is NOW and learn to enjoy the experience of not knowing, not planning, not imagining and just be content with the now. I think I've spent many years not worrying about now, because something better was going to be around the corner. What if 'better' is now.

No, my house is still mid-remodel and will most likely be that way for a few years until I finish nursing school. I'm not the weight I'd like to be. I'm not driving the car I want. BUT, my kids are great, they are bright, friendly, active, talented boys who make my eyes light up when they come into the room. My heart swells with the unsolicited hugs and kisses. My husband is a great father and loving, caring man. I am blessed that we've been together 22 years and married almost 15 (high school sweethearts) I am so enjoying my class, even though it is hard as hell. I enjoy learning, enjoy the challenge of understanding a subject so foreign to me. I have a good life. Being an adult is good. The life I have is good, even if it isn't the one I set out to have.

by the way....

I just got our tax bill, and I hope you all forgive me, because I'm about to sound like a Republican...
Shhhhh.....Don't tell the IRS about my last post, they may find a way to tax me!

Look how much I'm worth a year

I was looking up something else entirely on salary.com and found this mom calculator and check this out, a stay at home mom would make 140,000 dollars per year if she was paid based on what she did on a daily basis for the kids, the house, her husband, et al (I think they include overtime).

Now, where do I pick up my check?

A Realization

I pride myself on my humor, particularly the self-depreciating zingers I can often use. I love laughing at myself. I guess you could say, I'm my most favorite subject to ridicule. Most of my friends laugh along right with me, knowing that I'm really NOT an idiot, I just play one for fun.

However, complete strangers don't know this and I think I've done myself a disservice. Here's why -- Some of my class mates don't take me seriously. One of my lab partners had a question, she asked everyone but me. And I knew the answer. When no one else could answer, I told her mine. She reread the question and realized that yes, I was right. She was a bit perplexed at my being right. More importantly, this was not the first time. Yowzaa. What a light bulb moment for me. My feelings weren't even hurt, I did this to myself.

I'm glad I learned this lesson now, because once in the work force, particularly as a nurse, the appearance of confidence is going to be very important. The patients will be looking to me for help, not for a good laugh. I do think at the right moments my sense of humor will be helpful, but mostly confidence and caring should be at the forefront of my personality.

It's identified....

Last night in study group we went through Bergey's manual to identify our unknown bacteria. I got my culture from the vending machine. Should I tell you, should I? Or the better question: are you going to keep reading from this point on? I was hoping for some normally benign form of say, Staph. epidermidis, which is only a problem if it gets in your blood stream, it's part of your normal flora, everyone has it. But NOOOOO, It's Staph. auereus, a particularly nasty one, responsible for a whole host of nasty diseases (if you click on the word it'll take you to Wikipedia).

Cheers to our normally healthy immune systems!

School Now vs. Then

A couple of days ago I took son #2 to Burger King, so he could play and I could study. Every time I heard an energetic gleeful shriek (someone else's child, MY child wouldn't be so rude -bwahahah), I had to retrace my reading steps. It was then that I realized college this time around is sooooo different from the first time around.

Before:
Studying? something you cram in right before the test because you were sleeping off a 'late' night in class and couldn't take notes. Instead of reading you were enjoying those 'late' nights.

You studied, in coffee houses, out on the lawn, school cafeteria, school commons room, anywhere where a friend might happen upon you and you had a great excuse not to study anymore.

The library was a great place to take naps, and there were too many tables and chairs and not enough of those comfy 'reading' chairs and couches.

An entire semester's worth of books equals one book for one class now.

You really thought what you said mattered and you could change the world.

Now:
You have a chart when everything is due and you tape it to the fridge so that you can maneuver all of that around your family's schedule.

You want, crave, must have, peace and quiet when you study. If someone you know happens upon you when you do, you chat for a minute and excuse yourself to finish your studying. The library has way too many comfy chairs and should invest in more tables and chairs. The obnoxious guy sitting at the table next to you, having a cell phone conversation and a conversation with his table mate, simultaneously and LOUDLY, should be shot and killed.

You feel guilty about the time it takes away from your family, about the loads of laundry not done, about more fast food and convenience food, about the money you are not only NOT contributing but you are taking away from the family. blah blah blah, this list can go on and on, but let's not dwell!

You don't ditch, because if you do, you'll miss something, and gosh darn YOU PAID TO BE THERE. (a LOT).

Day care....Holy Cow, who can afford that!

Less beer, more coffee.

Guys don't want to buy you beer anymore, or coffee for that matter (which by the way is okay, since I'm happily married).

When you exclaim at the school bookstore that when you were in college the first time this cost would have been for a whole semester of books, they guy looks at you and says "Whoa, that was a long time ago" (OUCH).

And, you realize you can't change the world, but you can effect people's lives in your chosen career, and if you're a mom you are shaping the lives of the mini-human(s) left in your care for such a short period of time, and these things are priceless.

Grammar Police

I'm really not one to poke fun at people's grammar mistakes (notice the proper use of apostrophe). Particularly, because I know I use commas way too liberally. I enjoy run-on sentences; it's how I speak. I love dashes. I don't always get my verb/plural/tenses matching. I can't spell to save my life. And lots of other lazy, stupid things. All that aside, I don't think I would have made THIS mistake:

Painter's in lobby, please be careful

The sign was taped to the inside elevator doors at SCHOOL.

wooops!

If anyone wants to read a fun grammar book (and I think this book should be used in high schools around the country) pick up Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

Another Quiz

You are 90% Smarter than a fifth grader.

You are smarter than a fifth grader. no doubt. There is no need for you to retake school. Keep on doing your brain excersise like sudokus and crossword puzzles, and you'll soon be smarter than a sixth grader! Good work!

are you smarter than a fifth grader?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

The one I did get wrong....yup a math question, I even asked my 7 year old for help...yup, that desperate, but it does show me we have to work on his geometry skills.

I wonder how a fifth grader would do on that stupid nursing pretest?

Punchy Answers to Micro Assignment

I was getting a bit punchy yesterday after working on a Microbiology assignment for a couple of hours. It's crunch time, I'm getting a solid B in the class and I still feel like there's hope to squeak out an A. I'm already admitted to the nursing program, and at the associates level (still will be an RN, will take the same NCLEX as the BSN graduates) you only need to average 2.5/4.0 GPA. But noooo, I want an A, especially because this is such a freakin' hard class. It's almost like someone said 'NO' to me, or told me I couldn't.....I can get a bit stubborn that way (ask my parents, husband, anyone) I'm pretty sure the teacher has a sense of humor so I answered a couple questions, correctly, but with a bit of, well, punchiness.

First one is a drawing. We had to draw out the steps of phagocytosis --in general terms, the cells released to help get rid of nasty microbes -- So as I'm drawing the macrophage engulfing some bacteria, I drew a little cartoon cloud above it saying, 'yum'. Now after the cell, chews the microbes (and/or foreign object) all up it releases the debris into your system...I almost, but didn't, draw a little cartoon blurb about being bulimic. Yes, I realize at times you can go too far...and have been known to stop myself---sometimes.

Second, and I'll just copy and paste here:

27.List Three fomite, for each, write a statement instructing a friend, child, co-worker or patient how to avoid infection transmission by that fomite. Tell who you are informing and use a distinctly different method of prevention for each fomite.

a. Public bathroom door handles. Telling a friend. After washing your hands, keep a paper towel to open the door with, then throw the towel away.
b. Shopping cart handles. Telling a child. Ok, in my case it’s usually, “Stop licking that” with a tone of disgust and dismay. But when I’m in ‘good mommy’ mode it may sound more like this, “let’s wipe this up with some of the soapless germ stuff, then feel free to lick it up” Oh, wait, I forgot, ‘good mommy’ I would just tell him he’d get a cookie if he didn’t lick, and/or touch anything….ok never mind, you just can’t tell a kid anything because they don’t understand.
c. Pen. Co-worker. “Wow, did you see the green stuff coming out of his nose…wouldn’t use that pen if I were you”. (wink wink, nudge nudge), “but if you really want to I’ll spray it down with some Lysol”.
d. Scalpel. Patient. “Oh, sweetie, don’t touch that, I just used it to debride some rotting flesh from a person with Necrotizing Fasciatis. I will first auto-clave it then you may use it.”
(I’ve been working on this way too long and think I should get the point for humor).

You guys would give me the point, wouldn't you?
Ok, off to write up my labs. And then poop patrol in the backyard. I live a full and productive life.

4 am conversations with a 4 year old

Jason and I wake up to crying, the inconsolable kind.
"What is it Isaac?"
"Jake won't let me play with them"
"Jake's asleep honey"
"No, he's not, he's playing with my monsters and I want to play with them"

monsters?

"Honey, you're having a dream"
"No, I'm not, Jake is having fun with MY MONSTERS"

SIGH

Get up and show him that Jake is indeed asleep. Isaac calms down and wants to snuggle, I cringe at the thought of his bed, so we go back to our room and all fall back asleep, he and Jason more quickly then I.

Leave it to the quirky one to have a dream about monsters, but instead of being scared, he's upset they're not playing with him -- this is the kid that insisted on wearing a turtle costume and snow boots (no snow right now, just beautiful Colorado Spring weather) to Chipotle last night for dinner -- and to be fair, because we're quirky parents, we let him.

Parents moving back state side

I'm so excited, my mom and step-dad are moving back state-side. They live in La Coruna, Spain right now and have been for a couple of years. But, Jose is missing his family a lot. My mom, although misses us, REALLY likes it over there. Jose wants to move back to Miami, we have one brother there and Jose loves the Cuban community there. My mother has a sister and niece in Naples and a bunch of cousins in Miami. And then there's the weather. But I want them to move here! Yeah, the weather may suck to them (I'd take it over the sweltering tropical heat of Florida ANY DAY) but they have two daughters here and grandchildren (my brothers have yet to reproduce...Jose and Gina..get on that by the way, and Luis, get married). Luis, the brother in Florida should move here anyway and who knows where the Navy will send Jose and Gina next. Not to mention, Jose, Sr. (step dad) is related to most of the tiny Cuban community in the Denver area. Oh and it's cheaper. Don't you all think they should move here rather then Miami?

I promise I won't ask them to babysit ---- that much.

This is the view from their apartment now. I know it would be hard to give up, it really is beautiful there!

Photos...

King of the Mountain

What a view, Jason took the boys hiking a couple Sundays ago (Elk Meadow, near Evergreen). They had a great time, I had to study (poor me).
Hiking in the mountains, in March, wearing shorts....Jake is so 'Colorado'!

Jason and Jake went Indoor skydiving with their buddies. You probably can't tell, but Jake had a BLAST.