Full

Most of the time, I feel like our house is filled with stacks of unwashed dishes, piles of half-finished laundry, sand-filled shoes, books on the floor, paper airplanes stuck behind the couch, bouncy balls stuck behind the bookshelf, half eaten apples, untouched tuna sandwiches, too many text books, piles of junk mail, half-finished home improvement projects, unbalanced check books, missing coats, and "hurry, hurry, hurry."

But sometimes, I have a chance to clear my head, take a deep breath, and actually look.

And then I realize that our house is actually a home.

And it is filled with bedtime stories, extra marshmallows for hot cocoa, doors that open as soon as I get home, laughter, slobbery kisses, hugs around the knees, Candyland, bright shiny blue eyes, high fives for everything, jumping as high as you can, socks that slide perfectly, the chance to be a hero, stuffed animals that are real, memories, noses pressed against windows, stacks of artwork, snuggles, and love.

Oh, and a whole bunch of silliness!

This Week and Next...

This week, I...

-finally got a day off after working 13 days in a row.

-switched from services from Surgical Intensive Care Unit to Cardiology Intensive Care Unit. Intern year is like having a new job every month. I don't do anything long enough to feel comfortable.

-went 48 hours without sleeping.

-then slept for 13 hours straight.

-got a new couch for our family room. After all, two months of watching TV on the floor is enough.

-make cookies with Roman and Blaise.

Every post must have pictures, so today, you get cookies.

-Placed a Swan-Ganz catheter, a catheter that measures pressures in a patient's right heart and pulmonary arteries, for the first time. A completely awesome procedure!

-Went pumpkin picking. And forgot my camera.

-Got the heater/cooler/windows/fan fixed in my car, just in time for weather to turn cold. Okay, Keith did this one.

-Watched snow fall from the window of a patient's room

-Balanced my checkbook.

-Yelled at the TV during a college football game.

-Make mashed cauliflower, which made the boys throw up at the table. I thought it tasted fine.

-Fell in love with my boys all over again.




This coming week, I plan on...

-Raking leaves.

-Celebrating Keith's birthday (two days late, because I am on call on his birthday. Boo.)

-Buying Keith a book for his birthday, and then hurry and read it.

-Carving pumpkins.

-Calling my sister.

-Going for a walk in the fall leaves. If it warms up just a little.

-Missing college football due to taking call on a Saturday.

-Considering opening my cardiology tutorial CD.

-Submitting a receipt for a ridiculously expensive textbook to hopefully get reimbursed.

-Kissing my boys after they fall asleep every night I am home.

Pass It On

Gina gave me this award several days ago, and due to my horrific schedule and the fact that I felt the need to sleep for more than four hours in a row made it so I was unable to recognize the award until today.


Thanks, Gina. Gina, like myself, is the mother of a darling little boy and she's a speech pathologist/teacher. If you're not reading her, you should be.

Okay, now for the rules.
1) Thank the person who gave this to you!
2) Copy the logo and place it in your blog!
3) Link the person who nominated you!
4) Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.
5) Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6) Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7) Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them!

I'm pretty sure that over one year of blogging has made it so there aren't too many big things that people don't know about me. (And if there are, no one is going to find out any time soon. Ha.)
But I'm sure that I can think of something...

1. I used to play the flute (and violin, and piano...). But unfortunately, due to demands of school, work, and parenting, it's just fallen by the way. Although, I do occasionally play a few carols around Christmas.

2. I hate dresses and skirts. I have worn a skirt maybe twice in the last year.

3. I kept a journal every day for nearly 6 years. My writing filled multiple notebooks. Now there is a box in our basement full of those old journals and diaries. I stopped writing a little after I got married, and I always felt guilty about it. I think that is why blogging is so appealing to me.

4. After Roman was born, my hair started to get darker. That's when I started dyeing my hair and adding highlights. I don't think my dad knows. Every once and a while, he'll say, "I love that your hair is still the same color it was when you were a little girl." And I just say thank you.

5. I take a LOT of pictures of my boys. I have thousands of pictures on my external hard drive. So, if you ever feel that I have posts with image overload, just realize that I'm holding back.

6. I love books. And I never get rid of them. I have many full bookshelves, and I can't bear to think of getting rid of a single one.

7. I'm still on the look out for the next great chick flick. I haven't liked any since "Return to Me" and "You've Got Mail." If you have any good ideas, I'm dying to know.

And now, for the next part...the nominations.

First, some of my truly favorite blogs (that were not already nominated.)

Tia at Clever Girl Goes Blog
MckMama at My Charming Kids
Christian at ModObjects at Home
Sobrina at Quiet Like Horses

That's four. The next nominations are for people I think are unbelievably creative. Now, if only they would write just a little bit more.

Bonnie at I Think I naC
Emma Lily at What Would David Bowie Do
Trina at Trinabug's Life

Every day, something new

Before we moved to Iowa (and even after we moved), we were cautioned that it was a "boring" place to live.

Well, we're still waiting to be bored.

The great thing about the city we will in is the summer arts program. Each week, all summer, that are free weekly concerts downtown, movies in the park, plays in the riverside theater, and art festivals. Due to our schedules and our current unwillingness to haul the boys around in public, we didn't do any of those things this summer. We plan on doing most of them next summer.

But last weekend, as part of the summer arts program, there was a sand castle competition downtown. Yep, sand castles in the Midwest. It was definitely something to take the boys to.





After we viewed the sand sculpting contest, the boys had their own opportunity to play in the sand.



We headed for home, sandy, sticky from cotton candy, and sporting the beginning of beach-worthy sunburns.

I have started my Surgical Intensive Care Unit (or SICU) rotation. I've been more worried about this one than any other. The patients are very sick and require care that I sometimes feel is above my level of training. The schedule is demanding, requiring overnight in-hospital call every third night. I took my first overnight call last night. I was almost as excited that I made it out alive as I was that all my patients did okay overnight as well.

After being awake for 33 hours straight, I came home and collapsed into bed.

I was awoken at 6:30 by Keith who announced that he had "tried something new" for dinner. I stumbled downstairs to be greeted by a beautifully set table and a serving of hot, Parmesan cheese covered, home-made gnocchi.

Keith had made gnocchi.

By himself.

And it was delicious.

I feel like I should write this in all caps to express the complete amazing-ness of it all.

Keith, who never cooks, who got stressed out if I suggested he make scrambled eggs or a salad by himself. Keith, who I didn't even think knew where the cookbooks were kept in our kitchen. That same Keith made blonde brownies two days ago and then spent 2 1/2 hours making gnocchi tonight. GNOCCHI! Something I haven't even attempted.

Who are you and what have you done with my husband?

Hair Cuts

Between residency starting, working on our home, and just plain having fun exploring our new surroundings, some things got moved to the bottom of the to-do list.

Meaning that Blaise and Roman have spent several weeks looking looking a little scruffy. Blaise especially started looking like a little sheep dog.

The Before

So with both boys' hair hanging in their eyes and combing hair in the morning become more of a "snarl-and-tangle" fest, we made our way to get haircuts.

Roman, in typical fashion, didn't say a word to his stylist, except, "Fine," when asked how he liked his hair cut.

Blaise sat in the chair by himself and didn't even whimper once (not even when the clippers came out.)

No more hair impairing their vision. No more, um, nearly mullets (hey, Blaise's hair just seems to grow a little faster in the back) or Elvis sideburns. And they both look pretty happy about their new dos.

The After

What did you do?

This is what I came home to after work today.

If you can't tell, this previously was an industrial sized roll of toilet paper that we found in our bathroom when removing the old vanity. Now it is a huge mess. And please ignore the fact that our master bedroom flooring is carpet pad, sans carpet. That is scheduled to change.

"Blaise, what did you do!?"

"Nothing. My cars did it. The toilet paper was bad!"

Sigh.

It doesn't appear that the terrible twos will be ending anytime soon.

Because dishes DO NOT do themselves

So after a very long time, I've decided to participate in the blog festival that is "Not Me! Mondays" created by MckMama. I've read these posts on many of my favorite blogs, but have never had a reason to participate...


Until now! I can't think of a better way to sum up this week then "NOT ME!"

Things are crazy when you're moving. Everyone knows that. Add a apparently not-so-minor home renovation on top of that, and, well, we've just approached a whole new level of craziness.

But even with that, every girl has her limits.

I DID NOT leave the dishes undone and piling up in the sink. Keith DID NOT feel obliged to mention the insane amount of dishes. Because I am always on top of housework. And Keith doesn't mind a little craziness.

And then, while I was NOT adding a seventh layer of paint to the trim, the dishes DID NOT do themselves. Or did they...?


I DO NOT hate trim. Because painting seven layers of glossy white paint on trim is fun.

I DID NOT cry when we pulled back the carpet in the family room.


Because we DID NOT find mold. We DID NOT find water. Our family room does NOT leak every time it rains. Who would buy a house like that? Not me.

I DID NOT get a massive sunburn on my back and arms and shoulders when we were at the lake. Because everyone knows that I'm obsessive about sunscreen. I still DO NOT think it was a glorious day.

I DID NOT panic when I came home from my lab coat fitting and found this in our master bedroom.


Because I am always very calm. I was perfectly aware that fixing the floor joist was going to be a big project. So I absolutely DID NOT freak out at the size of the hole.

I AM NOT having moments of complete panic about being a resident and all the responsibility that goes along with it. I AM NOT having moments of terror when I think about being in the ER next week. Because I am a calm individual and and completely prepared for residency.

I AM NOT blogging instead of making dinner. I would never do that.

What have you not done this week? Head over to MckMama to see what everyone else hasn't done?

Let the countdown begin

We closed on our home today!

We are real home owners now. We are saying goodbye to apartment living. Goodbye to sharing walls and floors, and ceilings with people. Goodbye to too little space and too many restrictions.

With the joy of closing, comes the not so joyful start of packing.

Keith and I have spent the last two days cleaning appliances, carpets, and blinds. We seriously better get our deposit back.

(And why do you have to pay an extra deposit for having a pet, but not a two year old. I bet the neighbor's tabby cat never colors on the wall with marker. And I doubt that basset make dents in the hall wall with a golf club.)

I'm sitting here tonight surround by bare walls, empty bookcases, and stacks of boxes.

The next time I open these boxes will be when we're finally home.

Rules of Engagement

Keith and I don't fight.

When I tell people this, there is usually the reaction that either I am lying or delusional. Some people have gone so far as to say that if we don't fight, it must mean that our relationship lacks passion; that fighting is "healthy" for relationships.

I disagree. Fighting is not necessary. Or beneficial.

When I say that we don't fight, I don't mean to imply that we never disagree. It would be unrealistic to think that two individuals would agree on everything. There are a multitude of things that we disagree about.

But we don't fight about it.

It's not always easy. Probably more for me, because I get very worked up over things and cry easily.

But we have rules. Rules for disagreements that have prevented us from fighting.

I'm not calling myself a relationship expert. And I'm not bragging. Or saying that my relationship is better than someone else's. But these rules have worked well for us. And I wanted to share them. Just in case.

Here they are..

1. Keep on subject. Don't bring up old arguments. Don't add, "And do you know what else bothers me...?"

2. Don't call names. Ever.

3. Don't attack the other person's occupation.

4. Don't attack the other person's education.

5. Don't attack the other person's family members.

6. Don't break things. Or slam doors.

7. It's okay to leave the room. But don't storm out.

8. If you need to, take a time out. If the conversation is getting heated, just stop talking, wait until you are calmed down, then try again.

9. Avoid talking about topics you disagree about in front of other people (related or not). It may just embarrass the other person and add more emotional fuel to the fire.

10. Don't yell.

I'm sure that I'm making this sound overly simplistic and easy. I'm not saying that. But it gets easier with practice.

Using these rules, we've gone eight years of marriage without a fight. (And please note: I did say fight, not disagreement. Just wanted to clarify that point one more time.)

I'm working on a list of rules about how to approach my children. Because I can get grumpy with them. More than I should. I've raised my voice to my children. While Keith and I have never raised our voices to each other.

(However, it is true that Keith does not color with marker on the furniture, or hit his siblings with baseball bats, or dump bowls of applesauce on the floor. He also does not try walking as slowly as possible when I am in a hurry. Or lick windows in stores.)

I realized just the other day that I need rules for me regarding them.

That's a work in progress.

There is one more things. For when all other rules fail. I love the person sitting across from me. Is winning this disagreement really more important than their feelings?

The goal of our marriage was not to sacrifice things we believe in or feel passionately all for the sake of just being able to say that we've never had a fight. I could just start agreeing with everything Keith says, for no other reason than to keep the peace. But that would make our relationship less meaningful.

The goal was to be able to trust each other enough to feel that we can express our opinion, even when it differs from that of the other person, without being attacked.

That in this world, so full of people treating each other so horribly, that our marriage can be a safe haven.


Cross-posted here.

Another list of Eight

My friend, todavine, tagged me on her blog with an 8 meme.

It's no secret that I love a meme, but I usually do them on my personal blog, since this is technically a blog for keeping in touch with family and friends.

But this one just works here.

So, Here are the rules.
1. Mention the person who tagged you (Check)
2. Complete the list of 8's (In progress)
3. Tag 8 other bloggers
4. Tell them they have been tagged

Eight Things I Look Forward To:
1. Moving into our first house
2. Not living in an apartment ever again
3. Finishing residency (I know that this one is four years away, but there was not a time limit given.)
4. Watching the boys play in their first backyard
5. Seeing my first firefly (I hear they have them in Iowa)
6. Finishing potty training
7. Getting a cat
8. Buying a digital SLR camera

Eight Things I Wish I Could Do
1. Travel to Europe
2. Take the boys back to San Diego
3. Sleep for two days straight
4. Get someone else to clean my house
5. Lose a lot of weight
6. Work part-time someday
7. Have a house on the beach
8. Be a better cook

Eight Shows I Watch
1. Lost
2. Survivor
3. The Amazing Race
4. Chopped (Food Network)
5. Monk
6. Psych
7. Mythbusters
8. Little Einsteins

Eight Restaurants I Eat At:
1. Sweet Tomatoes
2. Sconecutter
3. McDonald's
4. Wendy's
5. Olive Garden
6. Panda Express
7. Costco (okay, not technically a restaurant, but I do love their churros.)
8. Taco Bell

Eight of My Quirks:
1. I don't like ketchup and the lettuce on the same side of the hamburger
2. I occasionally talk in my sleep
3. Cooking stresses me out
4. I color-code everything
5. I organize things by color as well
6. I can't really spell, so I'm grateful for spellcheck
7. I have a hard time throwing things away
8. I hate clothes shopping

Eight Friends I Am Tagging:
I have eight followers, so if you all do this, I think that covers it.

Eight Things I Did Yesterday
1. Sign the papers on our house, then ship them back in time for the closing
2. Go on a picnic with my sister
3. Watch Keith take our washer apart
4. Make popcorn
5. Not blog
6. Go swimming as a family
7. Make fajitas
8. Sang along to Disney songs with my boys

Okay, your turn. (And please leave a comment here if you actually do it. Because I'm nosy curious.

A Case of the Grumps

A bad bug has been going through our family the last couple days.

That is...a bad case of the grumps.

The moment I walked into Blaise's room this morning, he started yelling. "I don't want to get out of bed. I don't want breakfast. Go away. Go AWAY!"

If I have the gall to say no to Roman, he has been falling on the floor in tears and screaming, "You don't let me do anything. You are always trying to keep me from doing anything!"

And by saying no, I mean, no, you can't stay up until 11 pm. No, you can't eat that entire package of Reese''s Pieces by yourself. No, we are not going to Disneyland this week.

Blaise's word of the week is "Stupid!" And he has been using it very generously.

Right at this moment he is screaming from his bed that he doesn't want to go to school. It's stupid!

And let's just say that this current bug is slightly contagious. It's hard to be screamed at all day for three days without, um, um... yeah.

I'm not going to deny that there have been very cute things over the last several days.

So, if you'll just all hang tight until I'm in the mood to share them.

Wednesday

I hope your Wednesday was as wonderful as mine...