For the holidays. So it is Christmas eve and I am at work for half a day and Bret is at work until tomorrow morning. This is the first year that we have been away from home for Christmas. I really didn't think it would bother me this much because we are leaving for home on Saturday. It is hard. I am thrilled that Kyla (Dr. Heskett's sister) and her fiance Lucas are here to spend the holiday because it really makes it much much better. This morning my coworker that goes to the same church as I do was talking to me about what mass we were going to. I told her that although it would be nice to go tonight it wouldn't feel right going without Bret so we are going to go in the morning. I starting thing about the many years of midnight mass with my parents and Brets and I realized how homesick I am. I felt horrible because she then gave me a very creative gift and I started to cry. It was kind of funny because the gift was very nonsentimental...it was a sampler of all things Berks County (ie Berks beer, Faller's pretzels, a couple ghost story books, etc) and here I was with tears streaming down my cheeks. She got that I was just homesick.
I am hoping that once I get off work today I won't have time to be home sick. We are taking dinner to the hospital to spend part of Christmas eve with Dr. Heskett. After I get off work I need to hit the bank, pick up some beer, stop at the grocery store, get a couple loads of laundry done, and try to clean the house a little. Call me my mother's child but I want a clean house for Christmas.
Sometime tonight I still have a ton of wrapping to do for Santa gifts. Tomorrow morning we are having a big breakfast, church and then presents (I'm not 100% on the order). Then in the evening we are having Christmas dinner after Dr. Heskett gets some sleep. I realized this year that at least for a while our holiday tradition on when we open our gifts will depend on when Dr. Heskett works and that is fine.
The excitement level at our house with the kids has reached an all time high. I think this is the first year that both kids are excited and at a great age. They won't be disappointed. After Christmas I have a few things left to buy for the family in KS and I need to pack. At some point I also need to take kids back to the airport. It is going to be a busy week in deed.
I hope that all of you have a safe and happy holiday. I wish the warmest thoughts your way. Merry Christmas!
12.24.2008
12.23.2008
Totally Awkward Tuesdays
Today is the first day of Tova Darling's Totally Awkward Tuesday. As I love love love her and her blog and b/c I didn't really have anything that spectacular planned for today here is my first awkward post.
My sister and I are very close. Although we fought when we were younger we have been super close since I moved away to college. She even lived with me for a while. Of course when my dear sister got engaged she asked me to be maid of honor and I was thrilled. A few months prior to the big day we found out we were preggers with our second. My sister (although I love her dearly) has what some may call middle child syndrome. This common disease is diagnosed through expressions of not being the center of attention. They are neither the oldest or the youngest and thereby have an identity crisis and feel that nothing is ever about them. My sister is a classic case of this syndrome.
That being said I told Dr. Heskett that come hell or high water NO ONE was going to find out we were pregnant until after the wedding. The last thing I wanted was to steal her thunder by making a big announcement that IN ANY WAY could take the attention away from her. Problem #1...I was sicker than a dog. This was not just simple morning sickness...this was all day sickness. My eyes felt like they were floating in my head and uncontrollable waves of nausea would send me RUNNING to the nearest trash can (because it came way to fast for a bathroom run). Problem #2....Dress had to be altered and had to be unnoticeable. (Sad but true that you show WAY sooner with baby #2). Problem #3....Incredible boob pain that made wearing a bra impossible (luckily holding the dress up was not a problem...not everything about pregnancy is bad).
Problem #4...Pregnancy takes control of your mind and makes you a complete idiot that forgets everything...including the ring. As the maid of honor in your sister's wedding you really only have a couple of major jobs. Forgetting the ring and remembering half way through the ceremony is an issue. Luckily we are Catholic and mass takes forever before you get to the actual ring part. So in my best attempt to be inconspicuous in front of our 300 closest family and friends I signaled to my uncle in the back to run down stairs and find the ring which I left in my purse without my sister noticing. You read that correctly. I left the ring in my purse down in the basement of the church and I needed my uncle to get it and secretly bring it to me. I am a charades genius and we have this all on tape. Watching the tape was the first time that my sister, new BIL, and parents even had a clue that anything was going on. The most impressive part is that the back of the church was a long ways away...have you been to a Cathedral?
Now I am sure that you thought this story could not get any better...but wait.
Problem #5...I almost passed out. I always thought that the whole pregnant woman passing out and finding out that she was pregnant was just an old wives tale. Not true. After the ring episode I was planning to spend the rest of the ceremony planning out how I was going to sneak apple juice into my champagne flute for the toast and suddenly I got very warm. I felt flushed and then chilled. The next thing I knew I started to weave slightly and I felt myself go pale. I knew I was in real trouble when I started to see everything in tunnel vision and I could hear the priest talking but it seemed very far away. The bridesmaid standing next to me took my sister's bouquet from me (which weighed 500 lbs) and asked if I was OK. I told her that no I don't think I was OK and she asked what she should do. (Right now you are thinking that you had no idea so much could go on during a wedding ceremony and no one notice...but no one did I assure you or in my family I would have never heard the end of it.) I stepped down to her level and kind of leaned on her slightly. All I kept thinking about was that I was going to pass out at my sister's wedding in a bridesmaid dress in front of everyone I knew and roll down the steps (there are seven of them). That wasn't even the worst thought going through my head....I was going to steal my sister's show. Through sure will power I made it through the ceremony and when my sister finally kissed her new husband and turned towards me to get her bouquet I could tell how pale I was because she got really scared. I told her to just go I was fine. The priest grabbed my hand and told me to breath. After a brief breathing exercise the best man "escorted/carried" me out to the back of the church to the bathroom. I splashed water on my face, sat down, and was feeling much better. My dear Dr. Heskett was on the other end of the groomsman and thus one of the last of the bridal party to get to the back of the church. He heard the photographer ask if the maid of honor was OK. Although it took a moment for Dr. Heskett to realize that the maid of honor was in fact his pregnant wife he finally made it to the bathroom. I of course was crying and afraid that EVERYONE now knew that I was pregnant.
The only person who even suggested such a thing the rest of the night was my 90 grandmother who simply said "I think it is a boy" and smiled. The rest of the night went off without a hitch (everyone just thought I was dehydrated) and was truly surprised three weeks later when we made the big announcement at Emily's 2nd birthday. The best part is the no one really knew how awkward things were until they saw the video which is hilarious. You can see it all...forgotten ring...weaving maid of honor about to pass out...it is awesome. Happy Totally Awkward Tuesdays!
My sister and I are very close. Although we fought when we were younger we have been super close since I moved away to college. She even lived with me for a while. Of course when my dear sister got engaged she asked me to be maid of honor and I was thrilled. A few months prior to the big day we found out we were preggers with our second. My sister (although I love her dearly) has what some may call middle child syndrome. This common disease is diagnosed through expressions of not being the center of attention. They are neither the oldest or the youngest and thereby have an identity crisis and feel that nothing is ever about them. My sister is a classic case of this syndrome.
That being said I told Dr. Heskett that come hell or high water NO ONE was going to find out we were pregnant until after the wedding. The last thing I wanted was to steal her thunder by making a big announcement that IN ANY WAY could take the attention away from her. Problem #1...I was sicker than a dog. This was not just simple morning sickness...this was all day sickness. My eyes felt like they were floating in my head and uncontrollable waves of nausea would send me RUNNING to the nearest trash can (because it came way to fast for a bathroom run). Problem #2....Dress had to be altered and had to be unnoticeable. (Sad but true that you show WAY sooner with baby #2). Problem #3....Incredible boob pain that made wearing a bra impossible (luckily holding the dress up was not a problem...not everything about pregnancy is bad).
Problem #4...Pregnancy takes control of your mind and makes you a complete idiot that forgets everything...including the ring. As the maid of honor in your sister's wedding you really only have a couple of major jobs. Forgetting the ring and remembering half way through the ceremony is an issue. Luckily we are Catholic and mass takes forever before you get to the actual ring part. So in my best attempt to be inconspicuous in front of our 300 closest family and friends I signaled to my uncle in the back to run down stairs and find the ring which I left in my purse without my sister noticing. You read that correctly. I left the ring in my purse down in the basement of the church and I needed my uncle to get it and secretly bring it to me. I am a charades genius and we have this all on tape. Watching the tape was the first time that my sister, new BIL, and parents even had a clue that anything was going on. The most impressive part is that the back of the church was a long ways away...have you been to a Cathedral?
Now I am sure that you thought this story could not get any better...but wait.
Problem #5...I almost passed out. I always thought that the whole pregnant woman passing out and finding out that she was pregnant was just an old wives tale. Not true. After the ring episode I was planning to spend the rest of the ceremony planning out how I was going to sneak apple juice into my champagne flute for the toast and suddenly I got very warm. I felt flushed and then chilled. The next thing I knew I started to weave slightly and I felt myself go pale. I knew I was in real trouble when I started to see everything in tunnel vision and I could hear the priest talking but it seemed very far away. The bridesmaid standing next to me took my sister's bouquet from me (which weighed 500 lbs) and asked if I was OK. I told her that no I don't think I was OK and she asked what she should do. (Right now you are thinking that you had no idea so much could go on during a wedding ceremony and no one notice...but no one did I assure you or in my family I would have never heard the end of it.) I stepped down to her level and kind of leaned on her slightly. All I kept thinking about was that I was going to pass out at my sister's wedding in a bridesmaid dress in front of everyone I knew and roll down the steps (there are seven of them). That wasn't even the worst thought going through my head....I was going to steal my sister's show. Through sure will power I made it through the ceremony and when my sister finally kissed her new husband and turned towards me to get her bouquet I could tell how pale I was because she got really scared. I told her to just go I was fine. The priest grabbed my hand and told me to breath. After a brief breathing exercise the best man "escorted/carried" me out to the back of the church to the bathroom. I splashed water on my face, sat down, and was feeling much better. My dear Dr. Heskett was on the other end of the groomsman and thus one of the last of the bridal party to get to the back of the church. He heard the photographer ask if the maid of honor was OK. Although it took a moment for Dr. Heskett to realize that the maid of honor was in fact his pregnant wife he finally made it to the bathroom. I of course was crying and afraid that EVERYONE now knew that I was pregnant.
The only person who even suggested such a thing the rest of the night was my 90 grandmother who simply said "I think it is a boy" and smiled. The rest of the night went off without a hitch (everyone just thought I was dehydrated) and was truly surprised three weeks later when we made the big announcement at Emily's 2nd birthday. The best part is the no one really knew how awkward things were until they saw the video which is hilarious. You can see it all...forgotten ring...weaving maid of honor about to pass out...it is awesome. Happy Totally Awkward Tuesdays!
12.22.2008
Minutes Minutes!
Recently Dr. Heskett and I got new phones. He got an iphone (only b/c his expense fund paid for it) and I got a new Blackberry Curve. I got this phone b/c we had to change wireless companies. Let me just say that if you live in an area that offers Alltel that is the company to go with. I will forever miss you. I didn't realize in fact how much I was going to miss Alltel until we got our first months bill from our new company, Att&t.
When we had Alltel we have My Circle, 10 phone numbers of your choosing that don't count towards your minutes, mobile to mobile, and 8pm evenings. Pretty much I could talk whenever I wanted to for as long as I wanted to. 95% of my calls were to the same people and they didn't count.
Needless to say when we switch companies we were not really thinking about how many minutes we were really going to need because we had always had more than enough (sigh). We went over last month but only by 20 minutes. Dr. Heskett decided to check the usuage this month and found out that we had less than 30 minutes left of our 700 shared minutes and that had to last us 2 weeks. After a phone call to Att&t and a dip into our shrinking wallet we now have plenty of minutes to last us the rest of the plan period and hopefully enough each month in the future. I am hopeful that we will start to accrue some minutes over time because the "rollover" feature seems like it should work. After having Dr. Heskett look over the bill and question why I spend 20 minutes on the phone every morning on my way to work with my mom and 20 minutes on my way home every day with my sister I was just glad to have the pressure off by adding the extra minutes. It is a bummer though to add the extra cost. Jumping to Att&t was going to add more to our monthly bill anyways but now due to our minute need it is even more. If we could just get our home phone to work consistently (I hate you comcast) this might help with our situation. In the meantime we are just going to work to recruit our family and friends to Att&t...what after this post you are not sold?
When we had Alltel we have My Circle, 10 phone numbers of your choosing that don't count towards your minutes, mobile to mobile, and 8pm evenings. Pretty much I could talk whenever I wanted to for as long as I wanted to. 95% of my calls were to the same people and they didn't count.
Needless to say when we switch companies we were not really thinking about how many minutes we were really going to need because we had always had more than enough (sigh). We went over last month but only by 20 minutes. Dr. Heskett decided to check the usuage this month and found out that we had less than 30 minutes left of our 700 shared minutes and that had to last us 2 weeks. After a phone call to Att&t and a dip into our shrinking wallet we now have plenty of minutes to last us the rest of the plan period and hopefully enough each month in the future. I am hopeful that we will start to accrue some minutes over time because the "rollover" feature seems like it should work. After having Dr. Heskett look over the bill and question why I spend 20 minutes on the phone every morning on my way to work with my mom and 20 minutes on my way home every day with my sister I was just glad to have the pressure off by adding the extra minutes. It is a bummer though to add the extra cost. Jumping to Att&t was going to add more to our monthly bill anyways but now due to our minute need it is even more. If we could just get our home phone to work consistently (I hate you comcast) this might help with our situation. In the meantime we are just going to work to recruit our family and friends to Att&t...what after this post you are not sold?
12.19.2008
Tiny Reindeer and the Loot
Last year was Emily's first year in preschool and thus the first time that Bret and I got to experience the joy of class treats for the holidays. Now I consider myself to be a pretty crafty mom but let me tell you...I am a novice compared to some moms. Maybe it's not that I couldn't create some the of gifts that were given to my then 3 year old...it's that I don't have the time and don't want to spend the money. Emily came home with a full size grocery sack full of treats for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter. Most of it was candy but she also got pencils, cups, bricks that become washcloths in water, books, play dough, tiny toys, bubble bath, cookie cutters, crayons and coloring books, and yes a stuffed animal one time. These items usually came in little bags with candy. The people who gave candy didn't give just one piece they usually gave a BAG FULL OF CANDY. It was quite absurd if you ask me. My favorite was always the "healthy" moms that gave something besides candy as listed earlier or individual packs of cheese crackers, animal crackers, cheezit's, cookies, raisins, etc. Kids don't need all of this extra stuff let alone tons of candy. The dilemma is that you don't want your kid to feel bad because they didn't bring anything to hand out and you don't want to spend a small fortune because buying for all the kids can add up quickly.
I subscribe to a couple of parenting magazines and one of my favorites is Family Fun Magazine. This magazine is great because it has tons of ideas of things to do with your kids. Everything from recipes to try together, birthday cake ideas, and fun craft projects for all ages. What we try to do for each holiday treat is come up with an idea that is fun to make, cheap, and somewhat simple. On Halloween we make spiders using googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and tootsie pops, for Valentine's day we made "Plant one on ME" valentine's that gave each child a pack of seeds to take home and try to grow that spring, and for Christmas last year we made jingle bell bracelets. The kids love the gifts and Emily had a lot of fun making them too.
This year was different than last because we now have two kids in a daycare/classroom setting. This means that we have to come up with 30 treats between the two classes. Let me also point out that it is not just the treats because you also have class parties that usually ask for donations. This year for Halloween we stuck to the tootsie pop spiders because they are always a big hit, are easy to make, and two year olds can eat suckers. For Christmas we decided to make reindeer candy canes and I got the kids plastic tumbler cups as well. This killed two birds with one stone because I also signed up for drinks and cups to bring for the class party. The parties are funny because Palmer's class always has two parties. Some of the kids are T/TH only and some are MWF only so they have a party on Thursday and one on Friday and Palmer goes to both b/c is there 5 days a week. We even have two class pictures for him.
I had to laugh last night because when Bret and I got home we were both beat. Bret had stay late which meant he didn't get home until after seven and since Emily had dance we got home at about the same time. The bad parents that we sometimes are also picked up McDonald's on our way home and ate in the living room watching TV (which we never usually allow). Emily and Palmer were thrilled as Bret and I sat on the couch just exhausted from our day. As I put the kids in the tub Bret broke out the class treat supplies and started to assemble our reindeer. Although I usually let the kids help this week was busy and we just didn't have the time or patience not to mention the hot glue gun adds extra caution. I helped for a little while but was told that my antlers were terrible so I went back to getting the kids ready for bed and tucked in. Most people who know Dr. Heskett would never guess that he is an excellent crafty person as well. Sorry babe secret is out.
This morning when I dropped the kids off they were excited to hand out their treats. We put a cup and reindeer in each classmates cubby to take home that day. The drinks were stuck in the fridge for the party that will take place after nap time. I am still holding out hope that they send us home early but am not holding my breath. I am curious to see what the kids come home with and how much candy will have to be hidden this year.
I subscribe to a couple of parenting magazines and one of my favorites is Family Fun Magazine. This magazine is great because it has tons of ideas of things to do with your kids. Everything from recipes to try together, birthday cake ideas, and fun craft projects for all ages. What we try to do for each holiday treat is come up with an idea that is fun to make, cheap, and somewhat simple. On Halloween we make spiders using googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and tootsie pops, for Valentine's day we made "Plant one on ME" valentine's that gave each child a pack of seeds to take home and try to grow that spring, and for Christmas last year we made jingle bell bracelets. The kids love the gifts and Emily had a lot of fun making them too.
This year was different than last because we now have two kids in a daycare/classroom setting. This means that we have to come up with 30 treats between the two classes. Let me also point out that it is not just the treats because you also have class parties that usually ask for donations. This year for Halloween we stuck to the tootsie pop spiders because they are always a big hit, are easy to make, and two year olds can eat suckers. For Christmas we decided to make reindeer candy canes and I got the kids plastic tumbler cups as well. This killed two birds with one stone because I also signed up for drinks and cups to bring for the class party. The parties are funny because Palmer's class always has two parties. Some of the kids are T/TH only and some are MWF only so they have a party on Thursday and one on Friday and Palmer goes to both b/c is there 5 days a week. We even have two class pictures for him.
I had to laugh last night because when Bret and I got home we were both beat. Bret had stay late which meant he didn't get home until after seven and since Emily had dance we got home at about the same time. The bad parents that we sometimes are also picked up McDonald's on our way home and ate in the living room watching TV (which we never usually allow). Emily and Palmer were thrilled as Bret and I sat on the couch just exhausted from our day. As I put the kids in the tub Bret broke out the class treat supplies and started to assemble our reindeer. Although I usually let the kids help this week was busy and we just didn't have the time or patience not to mention the hot glue gun adds extra caution. I helped for a little while but was told that my antlers were terrible so I went back to getting the kids ready for bed and tucked in. Most people who know Dr. Heskett would never guess that he is an excellent crafty person as well. Sorry babe secret is out.
This morning when I dropped the kids off they were excited to hand out their treats. We put a cup and reindeer in each classmates cubby to take home that day. The drinks were stuck in the fridge for the party that will take place after nap time. I am still holding out hope that they send us home early but am not holding my breath. I am curious to see what the kids come home with and how much candy will have to be hidden this year.
12.18.2008
Dear Dr. Heskett
As I have mentioned in past posts my husband doesn't like to tell me what he wants for Christmas and he usually doesn't like for me to tell him what I want either. So taking his advice this year I didn't even ask and I definately didn't tell him. I think that this year I out did myself. I keep to the budget but I found gifts that he has wanted for years and things he didn't even realize he wanted. There are two no three gifts that I know he is just going to die over. A couple of them I had to order online and they came early. I have such a hard time waiting and usually just give the gifts early but no...this year I held tight. I don't think you realize how hard it has been for me not to run up to him and say LOOK. WHAT. I. GOT. YOU!! because I know that he is going to be that excited.
The kids are all bought for and are going to be equally excited about their gifts. I had gotten Emily just about everything that she really really wanted and then the other day Bret had asked her what she wanted and she "Camera, Camera, Camera...like a real camera where you can see the picture on the back." Now mind you she had mentioned this before and I had planned to get her one. It was the only on BF that I didn't get b/c it was the third store I went to. I was at Toys 'R Us the other day and they were $50. I was not going to spend $50 on a camera for a 4 year old. Then on one little display I found a gold Hanna Montanna one that was marked (I kid you not) 60% off. Probably b/c it is kind of ugly..but who cares? So now the kids are done.
Bret's sister and her fiance are coming to spend the holidays with us and she was easy to buy for. The fiance is much harder and I need to figure out somethings to get him. That just leaves little ol me to buy for. I must admit that there are two gifts under the tree already that Santa put my name on. Otherwise Dr. Heskett is responsible for this responsibility. Although he has not asked me I figure what could it hurt to place my wanted ideas on MY blog. He claims that he never reads it. When I asked why he said b/c he gets the joy of listening to me in person . Dr. Heskett has been known to ask friends and family for an suggestions so now all of you have some ideas so no excuses. So without further ado here is my Christmas List for Dr. Heskett.
1. Sookie Stackhouse Box Set- I have been promised to be able to borrow these books from multiple sources but have yet to get them.2. Perfume- small bottle of his choice (super small in case I don't like it..I don't have anything in mind so I am open minded) I suggest the designer fragrance outlet at VF...best prices in town.
3. Waffle Iron- We had a really nice one that we received as a wedding gift but when we moved from KS to PA it was lost never to be found. 
4. A blender- Again lost in transit. I have the best recipe for margaritas and I can't even use it...I am dying here. (Bonus would be if it was tangerine..yes my kitchen is tangerine)
5. Jewelry- Seriously any kind of jewelry would be awesome. New earrings, necklace, ring, or even a charm bracelet would be awesome (bonus if you got me a charm bracelet you would have a new standby for all of the other holidays/occasions you wait till the last minute for)
6. Shoes, shoes, shoes...I would take a new pair of black boots, dress shoes or new running shoes. I wear a size 7 and if they are too big/small I will just take them back. Dr. Heskett needs to move past his fear of buying shoes and clothes...because I love shoes and clothes. These are all from the Naturalizer outlet at VF...a good place to start.7. Again get over your issue with buying clothes. (I got over my issues with ordering things online and I even bid on ebay for you.) I would love a new black sweater. Just remember cowl neckline or scoopneck and you will be fine. (just keep your receipt just in case and I would like a large size)
8. A new purse. We live right next to the Dooney & Bourke and Coach outlets need I say more?
9. Godiva..enough said.
10. Work out clothes...again large and nothing sleeveless.
Hopefully if you need ideas you have found a few here. Of course I always remember that it is the thought that counts.
12.15.2008
Wait it can't be Monday yet...
I still have so much to do. My weekends have not been what I have wanted/needed them to be. Bret has worked the last two weekends and works this upcoming weekend as well. I usually use my weekends to get the house clean, catch up on laundry, run errands, get groceries, etc, etc. This weekend just got away from me way to fast and my usually on top of it attitude was no where to be found. I realized Saturday was not going to be a productive day the moment my throbbing head reminded me that I don't recover quite so quickly from a "night out" the way it used to. Of course we had a birthday party to go to with a ton of kids running around and squealing with joy at having so much fun making me insane with a nasty hang over. The one good thing is that both of my kids were actually looking forward to nap time today because they too had stayed up late the night before and were wore out from running around at the bday party. So of course we all took a wonderful afternoon nap. We then took dinner to Bret at the hospital came home and went to bed.
Sunday continued to along the same path of unproductivity. Emily had her church's Christmas pageant and I have to say I was a little disappointed. The pageant was cute but Emily's class (pre-k) only rang bells as they came into the gym and then again when they left. THAT. WAS. IT. I was surprised b/c at that age they can learn a short song or saying or anything. So Bret, Palmer, and I sat for over an hour to see her ring a bell for 2 minutes. At least a 3 minute song would have felt worth it. At least she look cute in her adorable Christmas dress. After lunch I went running. Yes I said running. A good friend of mine was really into running and lost all of this weight as she training for a marathon last year. Since then she has sort of gotten out of the habit and the weight has crept back on. She is now starting her training for a half marathon and needed someone to go with. I have this rule with myself that if someone asks me to workout if it is at all possible I never say no. So thus I ran 4.2 miles in just under an hour and survived. I am not a runner. I am 5 ft tall and have never been "in shape" let alone capable of running but in the past year or so I have gradually worked my way into not hating working out. That is about the best I can say for exercise. Needless to say that upon my return home I found my kids have just fallen asleep and my post call husband heading for nap. Let's see take a nap with hubs or clean the house or do laundry.
It is not like our house is a dump or anything it just needed cleaned. I have about 5 loads of laundry to do and we need groceries. I hate having to try and catch up over the week. It just adds stress. Hubs know how crazy this drives me so last night he calmed me down by promising to pick up groceries on his way home and helping with cleaning while I tend to the laundry. This made me feel loads better but we shall see what actually gets accomplished. If there is one thing I have learned in our crazy life is that sometimes something has to give. Rather than it being my sanity, fun with the kids or hubs, I have learned that it is ok if there are dishes in the sink for a day, or that the vacuum can wait. So after my 3 mile run tonight we may or may not have clean socks to wear tomorrow and that is ok.
Sunday continued to along the same path of unproductivity. Emily had her church's Christmas pageant and I have to say I was a little disappointed. The pageant was cute but Emily's class (pre-k) only rang bells as they came into the gym and then again when they left. THAT. WAS. IT. I was surprised b/c at that age they can learn a short song or saying or anything. So Bret, Palmer, and I sat for over an hour to see her ring a bell for 2 minutes. At least a 3 minute song would have felt worth it. At least she look cute in her adorable Christmas dress. After lunch I went running. Yes I said running. A good friend of mine was really into running and lost all of this weight as she training for a marathon last year. Since then she has sort of gotten out of the habit and the weight has crept back on. She is now starting her training for a half marathon and needed someone to go with. I have this rule with myself that if someone asks me to workout if it is at all possible I never say no. So thus I ran 4.2 miles in just under an hour and survived. I am not a runner. I am 5 ft tall and have never been "in shape" let alone capable of running but in the past year or so I have gradually worked my way into not hating working out. That is about the best I can say for exercise. Needless to say that upon my return home I found my kids have just fallen asleep and my post call husband heading for nap. Let's see take a nap with hubs or clean the house or do laundry.
It is not like our house is a dump or anything it just needed cleaned. I have about 5 loads of laundry to do and we need groceries. I hate having to try and catch up over the week. It just adds stress. Hubs know how crazy this drives me so last night he calmed me down by promising to pick up groceries on his way home and helping with cleaning while I tend to the laundry. This made me feel loads better but we shall see what actually gets accomplished. If there is one thing I have learned in our crazy life is that sometimes something has to give. Rather than it being my sanity, fun with the kids or hubs, I have learned that it is ok if there are dishes in the sink for a day, or that the vacuum can wait. So after my 3 mile run tonight we may or may not have clean socks to wear tomorrow and that is ok.
12.14.2008
Totally invented by a man
Friday night was Bret's holiday party for the department. Originally we were not going to be able to go b/c he was scheduled to work. Then on Wednesday he called me on my way home from work to let me know that one of the other residents had something planned that fell through and didn't want to go to the party so she switched with Bret...aka we can go now. Bret was really excited and I was too busy trying to think of all the things that I needed to do. I needed to figure out something to wear, find a babysitter, get my haircut, etc.
I stopped by the Penney's outlet on my lunch hour the next day and found the cutest little black dress and it was marked down from $120 to $29.99..perfect. I also picked up a spanx which I had heard great things about. Found a babysitter and got ready with no issues. The spanx really does work wonders. For those (like me before) who have no idea what a spanx is it is a bodysuit that helps to smooth over not so pretty fat and helps as a strapless bra b/c you have much more support (very important for us busty girls to make sure our girls look ok in a strapless dress).
The party was fun (open bar, good food, and good music). The residents every year put together the entertainment for the night which usually consists of some sort of spoof or roast of the attendings. This year they created a video teasing the residents for their typical wardrobe quirks. The idea was a fashion show to show the med students what was/wasn't appropriate. The residents dressed up as the attendings and made masks with the attending's faces on them. It was a hilarious and it wasn't mean. Some classes in the past have caused hurt feelings but this year even the attendings were wiping tears from laughing so hard. Overall it turned out great.
About halfway through the night after several yummy drinks I made my way to the ladies room. I got into the bathroom and as panic started to creep up I suddenly realized that I was stuck. Literally. The spanx that I had worn under my dress for the evening had no zipper or snaps. It was one piece that had to be slipped on from the bottom. With the dress over it I was going to need to unzip my dress and I couldn't quite reach the hook at the top. I don't know how long it really took me but it felt like forever (at least a good ten minutes) to figure a way to get out of the dress and spanx so that I could pee (which was urgent by this point). The drinks definitely didn't help and neither did the hard to zip/unzip dress but when I finally found my way out of the bathroom my husband was looking for me with a concerned look on his face. You know it had taken a long time b/c hubs never comes looking for me. When I gave him a brief explanation as to what the hold up was he laughed and said next time he would help..I did not appreciate his jovial attitude.
I decided that only a man would design an article of clothing without really coming up with an easy way to pee. Who doesn't know that a woman (especially on a night out where there will be drinks) will need to go to the bathroom during the course of the evening and that getting completely naked to do so is not exactly convenient. Ugh...I should have just worn slacks.
I stopped by the Penney's outlet on my lunch hour the next day and found the cutest little black dress and it was marked down from $120 to $29.99..perfect. I also picked up a spanx which I had heard great things about. Found a babysitter and got ready with no issues. The spanx really does work wonders. For those (like me before) who have no idea what a spanx is it is a bodysuit that helps to smooth over not so pretty fat and helps as a strapless bra b/c you have much more support (very important for us busty girls to make sure our girls look ok in a strapless dress).
The party was fun (open bar, good food, and good music). The residents every year put together the entertainment for the night which usually consists of some sort of spoof or roast of the attendings. This year they created a video teasing the residents for their typical wardrobe quirks. The idea was a fashion show to show the med students what was/wasn't appropriate. The residents dressed up as the attendings and made masks with the attending's faces on them. It was a hilarious and it wasn't mean. Some classes in the past have caused hurt feelings but this year even the attendings were wiping tears from laughing so hard. Overall it turned out great.
About halfway through the night after several yummy drinks I made my way to the ladies room. I got into the bathroom and as panic started to creep up I suddenly realized that I was stuck. Literally. The spanx that I had worn under my dress for the evening had no zipper or snaps. It was one piece that had to be slipped on from the bottom. With the dress over it I was going to need to unzip my dress and I couldn't quite reach the hook at the top. I don't know how long it really took me but it felt like forever (at least a good ten minutes) to figure a way to get out of the dress and spanx so that I could pee (which was urgent by this point). The drinks definitely didn't help and neither did the hard to zip/unzip dress but when I finally found my way out of the bathroom my husband was looking for me with a concerned look on his face. You know it had taken a long time b/c hubs never comes looking for me. When I gave him a brief explanation as to what the hold up was he laughed and said next time he would help..I did not appreciate his jovial attitude.
I decided that only a man would design an article of clothing without really coming up with an easy way to pee. Who doesn't know that a woman (especially on a night out where there will be drinks) will need to go to the bathroom during the course of the evening and that getting completely naked to do so is not exactly convenient. Ugh...I should have just worn slacks.
12.12.2008
The Thank-you I never got to say
Facebook is something that is both great and awful in many ways. It is great because it puts in touch with friends (old and new), family, and people that you kind of new but don't necessarily dislike so don't mind simply "being their friend". I love getting in touch with old friends and catching up on their lives. I find it fascinating to see how/what they are doing. I also love the simple way you can now stay connected with birthday wishes, reading their notes, and just getting hourly updates on what they are doing at the moment you log on. On the other hand sometimes those thoughts remind you of some that you thought you buried a long time ago. I thought long and hard about whether I would even go "there" on my blog since so many have already done so much of a better job "remembering" and then I realized that I have NEVER told anyone about a person and a situation that changed me. So unless you knew me in high school or are part of my immediate family you have no idea what I am talking about.
High school was not a bright part of my life. I had friends, I did ok in school, and I for the most part stayed out of trouble. I was not into sports and no other extra curricular activities except debate and forensics. I loved debate. I found out that I was a competitor by nature and that I had a gift of gab. I enjoyed the research, the hob knobbing, and kicking the crap out of other teams. Debate is not a stand alone activity..you have a team and most importantly you have a colleague. My colleague was Nik. We were nothing a like. He was popular, had money, was an only child, and much smarter than me (but not a better debater). We made a good team. Our coach had decided from day one that we were a good fit. Judges like the guy/girl combo (guys goof off and two girls just seem to get too bitchy). We were not the best team out there by far but we medaled several times and qualified for state. We were both heat broken that we didn't qualify for nationals but both felt confident we could make it one last time in forensics that spring. We spent a lot of time on the bus, at school, at our homes, at camp, and at tournaments. We went to Baltimore together for Nationals and had a blast. He was one of those all around good guys that everyone just liked. We drove each other crazy, laughed a lot, and had what at 18 some would consider "deep" conversations about life, politics, and religion...and always always coffee and P & A. He even helped me on Christmas Eve use my new espresso machine that I had no idea what to do with. We were friends...not best friends..but friends..and debate colleagues.
Our senior year Nik and I were tournament chairs for our forensics tournament that is always scheduled the first weekend of the season. We had stayed after school briefly to work on judges lists on Feb 1, 1999 and said "see you tomorrow". That night I got a call that Nik had killed himself. To this day I am still not really sure what happened or why it all happened. Over the years I have convinced myself that there were signs that we all missed and then I convince myself that there were no signs. Finally I realize it doesn't matter.
Two weeks later I heard a gun go off next door and saw the cops and an ambulance pull up moments afterwards. My neighbor's son had shot himself. It took me a while to lose the fear that everyone was going to die. I know that eventually everyone is going to die but that fear that one day you see them and the next you don't ever again is much different that when someone dies because they are sick.
What I learned is a very important lesson in life at a very young age. Life is very precious and something that should not be wasted. I live everyday of my life to the fullest and like there was no tomorrow...no regrets. I went to college, got married, got my MBA, and had two beautiful children. I thirst to experience everything that is good in this world because there is so much of it. While I can also say that some very very bad things have happened along the way I have never lost sight of how my life is a gift that I will never take for granted. Nik's passing lighted a fire under me that has never burned out. A few years ago our debate coach passed and I remember that when everything with Nik happened how hard it was for him. He pulled me aside and using one of his classic lines he said "Harnish don't be dumb" life will get better than this and he was right.
I still talk to Nik's parents. They are good people who have had a hard life. They inspire me in how they have turned such an awful and hard situation into something that will help others. They generously fund a scholarship that pays the same amount for four years to a graduating senior and have done so for almost ten years now. My sister was a recipient of this award and it helped her pay for school to become a teacher. They also sponsor a fine arts scholarship at the high school as well. When Nik died they took part of his college savings and divided it among his closest friends. When they gave us the money they told us to remember Nik and to work in our lives to touch others the way he touched our lives. I took this to heart and have always tried to be the friend he was to me.
Yesterday was his birthday and although I never forget the day he passed I didn't remember yesterday until I saw other friends' posts on facebook. If he were still alive today we would probably be friends on facebook. Instead we remember and for me remembering means saying thank you. My life is fuller and more rich because of the lessons I learned from you.
High school was not a bright part of my life. I had friends, I did ok in school, and I for the most part stayed out of trouble. I was not into sports and no other extra curricular activities except debate and forensics. I loved debate. I found out that I was a competitor by nature and that I had a gift of gab. I enjoyed the research, the hob knobbing, and kicking the crap out of other teams. Debate is not a stand alone activity..you have a team and most importantly you have a colleague. My colleague was Nik. We were nothing a like. He was popular, had money, was an only child, and much smarter than me (but not a better debater). We made a good team. Our coach had decided from day one that we were a good fit. Judges like the guy/girl combo (guys goof off and two girls just seem to get too bitchy). We were not the best team out there by far but we medaled several times and qualified for state. We were both heat broken that we didn't qualify for nationals but both felt confident we could make it one last time in forensics that spring. We spent a lot of time on the bus, at school, at our homes, at camp, and at tournaments. We went to Baltimore together for Nationals and had a blast. He was one of those all around good guys that everyone just liked. We drove each other crazy, laughed a lot, and had what at 18 some would consider "deep" conversations about life, politics, and religion...and always always coffee and P & A. He even helped me on Christmas Eve use my new espresso machine that I had no idea what to do with. We were friends...not best friends..but friends..and debate colleagues.
Our senior year Nik and I were tournament chairs for our forensics tournament that is always scheduled the first weekend of the season. We had stayed after school briefly to work on judges lists on Feb 1, 1999 and said "see you tomorrow". That night I got a call that Nik had killed himself. To this day I am still not really sure what happened or why it all happened. Over the years I have convinced myself that there were signs that we all missed and then I convince myself that there were no signs. Finally I realize it doesn't matter.
Two weeks later I heard a gun go off next door and saw the cops and an ambulance pull up moments afterwards. My neighbor's son had shot himself. It took me a while to lose the fear that everyone was going to die. I know that eventually everyone is going to die but that fear that one day you see them and the next you don't ever again is much different that when someone dies because they are sick.
What I learned is a very important lesson in life at a very young age. Life is very precious and something that should not be wasted. I live everyday of my life to the fullest and like there was no tomorrow...no regrets. I went to college, got married, got my MBA, and had two beautiful children. I thirst to experience everything that is good in this world because there is so much of it. While I can also say that some very very bad things have happened along the way I have never lost sight of how my life is a gift that I will never take for granted. Nik's passing lighted a fire under me that has never burned out. A few years ago our debate coach passed and I remember that when everything with Nik happened how hard it was for him. He pulled me aside and using one of his classic lines he said "Harnish don't be dumb" life will get better than this and he was right.
I still talk to Nik's parents. They are good people who have had a hard life. They inspire me in how they have turned such an awful and hard situation into something that will help others. They generously fund a scholarship that pays the same amount for four years to a graduating senior and have done so for almost ten years now. My sister was a recipient of this award and it helped her pay for school to become a teacher. They also sponsor a fine arts scholarship at the high school as well. When Nik died they took part of his college savings and divided it among his closest friends. When they gave us the money they told us to remember Nik and to work in our lives to touch others the way he touched our lives. I took this to heart and have always tried to be the friend he was to me.
Yesterday was his birthday and although I never forget the day he passed I didn't remember yesterday until I saw other friends' posts on facebook. If he were still alive today we would probably be friends on facebook. Instead we remember and for me remembering means saying thank you. My life is fuller and more rich because of the lessons I learned from you.
12.11.2008
The heat is on
In our apartments we have radiator steam heat (yes they are over 100 years old). The good news is that we don't have to pay for our utilities but the bad is that steam heat is a hard thing to manage. It doesn't have a thermostat so you can just set the degree temp that you want and let it go. No instead you have these little knobs that you can turn up or down. Even when they are all the way off they are sometimes still warm. We have covers on everyone of them in the apartment so don't worry the kids are still safe. During this time of year where the weather is changing it is increasingly difficult to regulate the temperature in our house.
I am almost always warm. I prefer to sleep in a less than warm room with loads of blankets on top of me. I would rather wear a sweatshirt and slippers in a cool house than be sweating. I hate to be hot and my body temp is almost always a little warm. Bret is usually normal temp and doesn't get that hot or cold except at night. Unbeknownst to me I am told that I sometimes take more than my fair share of covers during the night. I have this little habit of tucking the covers and then rolling over so they are pulled away from my loving hubs. Bret is a very heavy sleeper and the one thing that has been able to disrupt this sleep is waking up in the middle of the night FREEZING with no covers in sight. Besides trying to find some extra covers he also usually turns the heat up in our room. An hour later I wake up SWEATING like crazy and realize that the room is way too warm even though by this point my socks are off and the covers are thrown back all before I wake up. Something I never really understood about radiators before we had them is that they are not gradual. They are cold, medium, or hot and they immediately get that way. If you are freezing cold in the middle of the night and half asleep you simply turn the heat up and whala the room is warm within a couple of minutes literally.
So here we are pissy with each other for waking the other up and now fighting with the heater and not getting any sleep. So rather than continue with this ridiculous fight I grabbed my pillow and favorite blanket and headed for living room and the best couch in the world and had a peaceful rest of the night in a nice cool room. Bret came out at the crazy early hour that he gets up and ready for work and tells me that I am the stubborn one. Needless to say we are going to have to have a lengthy discussion on how to "manage" the heat in our room tonight. My plan is to threaten to open a window if he touches the heater again. Or better yet maybe we can have separate blankets so I don't hog them. Ahh the joys of married life and living in a tiny old apartment.
I am almost always warm. I prefer to sleep in a less than warm room with loads of blankets on top of me. I would rather wear a sweatshirt and slippers in a cool house than be sweating. I hate to be hot and my body temp is almost always a little warm. Bret is usually normal temp and doesn't get that hot or cold except at night. Unbeknownst to me I am told that I sometimes take more than my fair share of covers during the night. I have this little habit of tucking the covers and then rolling over so they are pulled away from my loving hubs. Bret is a very heavy sleeper and the one thing that has been able to disrupt this sleep is waking up in the middle of the night FREEZING with no covers in sight. Besides trying to find some extra covers he also usually turns the heat up in our room. An hour later I wake up SWEATING like crazy and realize that the room is way too warm even though by this point my socks are off and the covers are thrown back all before I wake up. Something I never really understood about radiators before we had them is that they are not gradual. They are cold, medium, or hot and they immediately get that way. If you are freezing cold in the middle of the night and half asleep you simply turn the heat up and whala the room is warm within a couple of minutes literally.
So here we are pissy with each other for waking the other up and now fighting with the heater and not getting any sleep. So rather than continue with this ridiculous fight I grabbed my pillow and favorite blanket and headed for living room and the best couch in the world and had a peaceful rest of the night in a nice cool room. Bret came out at the crazy early hour that he gets up and ready for work and tells me that I am the stubborn one. Needless to say we are going to have to have a lengthy discussion on how to "manage" the heat in our room tonight. My plan is to threaten to open a window if he touches the heater again. Or better yet maybe we can have separate blankets so I don't hog them. Ahh the joys of married life and living in a tiny old apartment.
12.10.2008
My Christmas List
So last night after a long dinner with candidates hubs and I were hanging out watching TV while he played with his new iphone. I brought up the topic of what we are going to get each other for xmas...
Me: "Have you come up with anything else that you want for Christmas?"
Bret: "No"
Me: "Umm, your mom, my sister, dad, etc are all asking and I am not sure what to tell them..I am having a hard enough time coming up with things for me to get you"
Bret: "There isn't anything I want"
Me thinking to myself: "wow it must be nice to have everything you have ever wanted in life...maybe we should add a couple of the things that I want (like a Dyson, a new kitchen table and chairs, that new wok that I want, etc, etc, etc) that are really more for the both of us to your list so that I can get EVERYTHING that I want"
Me: "Well, do you want to know what I want?"
Bret: "No"
Me: "Are you going to get me anything?"
Bret: "I will figure something out...I got you a birthday present didn't I?"
And just like that he has ended the discussion for the night. Can we say frustrating???
It's not that my husband is a Scrooge or anything he just is a last minute procrastinator that I have spoiled with taking care of EVERYTHING for Christmas. I make lists and more lists. I go out on BF for savings and I plan. I buy every single gift except for mine. On the way to our families house he usually asks...so what did we get so and so? It is his brief update so that he can be in the moment when they open the perfect gift that "we" got them. Don't get me wrong I have no one to blame but myself. I love Christmas and the shopping and really I don't mind getting everyone's presents. I usually make his sit down and have a similar conversation when it comes to determining what to get the kids. He usually has a suggestion of something to get them that I hadn't thought about otherwise he just lets me get what I want for them.
Last year was pretty funny. I went shopping with a friend of mine that is also a resident. We were in a really fancy kitchen store and I saw the most awesome salt and pepper mills. They were Tangerine colored(yes my kitchen has tangerine in it...it all started with a Kitchen aid mixer that I got as a gift). When I picked them up though I almost passed out because of the price. Who knew that something so small could be so expensive? I mentioned to my friend that I loved them but that Bret would have a cow over the price for something so simple. Low and behold since he waited till the last minute he asked this friend if there was anything she knew of that I wanted and what did she tell him??? I got the mills and was shocked. (I still love them by the way.)
With my parents we made a list every year...we still do and we got exactly what we asked for with a few small things thrown in for good measure. Today I send my dad links and literally he just orders them from my email. Bret's family is not that way. They will get you one or two of the things you ask for and then everything else are things that they got for you that they thought you would like. For the first few years I got gift cards. After we were married Bret's mom slowly started to buy actual gifts. I haven't gotten a gift cards in over five years. It is fun to open their gifts b/c you never know what you are going to get and sometimes it is just perfect and you would have never guessed. The flip side of this coin is that they don't really tell you what they want either. SO I have to get on board and try to figure out things to get them when all I really want is their list so I can go out and get it.
Me: "Have you come up with anything else that you want for Christmas?"
Bret: "No"
Me: "Umm, your mom, my sister, dad, etc are all asking and I am not sure what to tell them..I am having a hard enough time coming up with things for me to get you"
Bret: "There isn't anything I want"
Me thinking to myself: "wow it must be nice to have everything you have ever wanted in life...maybe we should add a couple of the things that I want (like a Dyson, a new kitchen table and chairs, that new wok that I want, etc, etc, etc) that are really more for the both of us to your list so that I can get EVERYTHING that I want"
Me: "Well, do you want to know what I want?"
Bret: "No"
Me: "Are you going to get me anything?"
Bret: "I will figure something out...I got you a birthday present didn't I?"
And just like that he has ended the discussion for the night. Can we say frustrating???
It's not that my husband is a Scrooge or anything he just is a last minute procrastinator that I have spoiled with taking care of EVERYTHING for Christmas. I make lists and more lists. I go out on BF for savings and I plan. I buy every single gift except for mine. On the way to our families house he usually asks...so what did we get so and so? It is his brief update so that he can be in the moment when they open the perfect gift that "we" got them. Don't get me wrong I have no one to blame but myself. I love Christmas and the shopping and really I don't mind getting everyone's presents. I usually make his sit down and have a similar conversation when it comes to determining what to get the kids. He usually has a suggestion of something to get them that I hadn't thought about otherwise he just lets me get what I want for them.
Last year was pretty funny. I went shopping with a friend of mine that is also a resident. We were in a really fancy kitchen store and I saw the most awesome salt and pepper mills. They were Tangerine colored(yes my kitchen has tangerine in it...it all started with a Kitchen aid mixer that I got as a gift). When I picked them up though I almost passed out because of the price. Who knew that something so small could be so expensive? I mentioned to my friend that I loved them but that Bret would have a cow over the price for something so simple. Low and behold since he waited till the last minute he asked this friend if there was anything she knew of that I wanted and what did she tell him??? I got the mills and was shocked. (I still love them by the way.)
With my parents we made a list every year...we still do and we got exactly what we asked for with a few small things thrown in for good measure. Today I send my dad links and literally he just orders them from my email. Bret's family is not that way. They will get you one or two of the things you ask for and then everything else are things that they got for you that they thought you would like. For the first few years I got gift cards. After we were married Bret's mom slowly started to buy actual gifts. I haven't gotten a gift cards in over five years. It is fun to open their gifts b/c you never know what you are going to get and sometimes it is just perfect and you would have never guessed. The flip side of this coin is that they don't really tell you what they want either. SO I have to get on board and try to figure out things to get them when all I really want is their list so I can go out and get it.
12.09.2008
Check Please!
Tonight is our first resident applicant dinner of the interview season. I always look forward to the dinners because it is the only opportunity we (significant others) get to get a glance at who could potentially be our newest member of our extended family. The OB/GYN program that Bret is a part of is medium size. We take four residents every year, it is a four year program, so we have a grand total of 16 people in our program. These people spend more time together than with their families. It's true. They work an average of 60-80 hours per week and sometimes are together for 36 hours straight. Even Bret and I don't spend 36 hours together without having a few tense moments. They work together in happy, sometimes very stressful, exhausting, terrifying, and sometimes heart wrenching times. They stick by each other, hopefully help each other out, and at the end of the day at the very least work together towards the same goal...patient care and survival.
Our current residents are from all different walks of life. Some are traditional students that went straight through college, med school, and into residency and some have a not so straight path that lead them to here. Some are married, some are single, some have kids, gay, straight, Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, some from the US, some not...their differences make them better.
Of course I have my ideal candidate...a mid to late twenties guy married with a young family and who is not from here...maybe even from the Midwest. He has a fabulous wife that likes to scrapbook with a glass of wine, they are moving into the Deltas (our funny apartment complex of residents) and anxiously looking for new BFF that would happen to be us who would take them under our wing and become life long friends. No seriously I would love this. Sometimes being the spouse of a resident is very hard and lonely when you don't have family close by to fill that void that comes from the long hours and weekend call. The only other people that feel this is other spouses. In our program we have mostly women and so the spouses that I have united with are stay at home dads (who are great...I can spot them now at the gym..who knew?) but it is not the same. The only other wife is leaving me this year and even that wasn't the same b/c her parents lived almost next door.
Match (the process in which med students find out where they are going to do their residency and programs find out who is coming to their program) is a funny awful thing that is a whole other post by itself. For now I will say that you never know what is going to happen. So hopefully tonight we will connect to some of the people going and who knows maybe next year they will be coming over for dinners and becoming part of the family we have grown to love. Besides we get a free dinner out of it and who can complain about that?
Our current residents are from all different walks of life. Some are traditional students that went straight through college, med school, and into residency and some have a not so straight path that lead them to here. Some are married, some are single, some have kids, gay, straight, Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, some from the US, some not...their differences make them better.
Of course I have my ideal candidate...a mid to late twenties guy married with a young family and who is not from here...maybe even from the Midwest. He has a fabulous wife that likes to scrapbook with a glass of wine, they are moving into the Deltas (our funny apartment complex of residents) and anxiously looking for new BFF that would happen to be us who would take them under our wing and become life long friends. No seriously I would love this. Sometimes being the spouse of a resident is very hard and lonely when you don't have family close by to fill that void that comes from the long hours and weekend call. The only other people that feel this is other spouses. In our program we have mostly women and so the spouses that I have united with are stay at home dads (who are great...I can spot them now at the gym..who knew?) but it is not the same. The only other wife is leaving me this year and even that wasn't the same b/c her parents lived almost next door.
Match (the process in which med students find out where they are going to do their residency and programs find out who is coming to their program) is a funny awful thing that is a whole other post by itself. For now I will say that you never know what is going to happen. So hopefully tonight we will connect to some of the people going and who knows maybe next year they will be coming over for dinners and becoming part of the family we have grown to love. Besides we get a free dinner out of it and who can complain about that?
12.08.2008
It's beginning to look a lot like....
Even though Bret had to work for part of this weekend...it was a really nice weekend. On Saturday Emily had a birthday party in the morning then after nap time we had one of her little friends and her brother over to decorate Christmas cookies with us. This is something that we have done every year and one of our family favorite activities. I have perfected the art of rolling and cutting out the cookies so that it is no longer the dreaded part of the job and I have the icing recipe down so that it firms up enough to not stick once it dries and still tastes quite yummy. This was Palmer's first year and he yet again reminded me that he is his father's child. 
While Emily relished the art of "decorating" each cookie, Palmer felt as though it was a very important job. Don't get me wrong he loved doing it but it was a very simple process in his mind. Pick out a cookie, tell mom which color frosting, choose a color of sprinkle, sprinkle, tell mom done. That was it. He was very methodical about it and was more interested in getting them all decorated than in the decorating itself. Just an observation.
While Emily relished the art of "decorating" each cookie, Palmer felt as though it was a very important job. Don't get me wrong he loved doing it but it was a very simple process in his mind. Pick out a cookie, tell mom which color frosting, choose a color of sprinkle, sprinkle, tell mom done. That was it. He was very methodical about it and was more interested in getting them all decorated than in the decorating itself. Just an observation.
So about the birthday party. This was one of Emily's friends from the school she went to last year. Side note...when we first moved to PA we thought that I would go to work right away and the kids would attend the child development center at the hospital. We had their names on the list right away and had even made a couple of visits to the facility. When we realized that a job was not going to happen right away (an there was no way to afford the CDC without it) it was mid August and I needed to find a preschool ASAP. I called every preschool within a 30 mile radius and everyone was full and had a waiting list already. The week before school started a school about 15 minutes away called to say that they had an opening (a little boy wasn't potty trained in time.. we are in). Something about Berks county that I learned very quickly is that people never leave this town. They were born here and will die here. So it was very interesting for Emily to become part of this little group of kids whose parents all went to high school together and were still BFF.
I am not exaggerating here when I say that this group of parents are the most clickish group of adults I have ever met. When we first started school I asked one of the mom's about her play group that I had heard about and she replied that it was just her and some of her friends that got their kids together to play but that she thought there was a couple of national organizations that she could go online and get the contact info for me. NOT KIDDING! Last year was rough already but every attempt I made to become friends with some of these moms was met with cold shoulders. They had their group and were not interested in new playmates. UNTIL THEY MET EMILY.
Bret and I joke that Emily has been our salvation when it comes to a social life more than once in this town. Kids love her and beg for her to be included. I got calls from moms for play dates, birthday parties, etc that their kids INSISTED that Emily Heskett be included. In fact twice this summer mom's called b/c Emily was going to be the only girl invited b/c her little boyfriends said it was Emily or no one. Even though Emily has changed schools she still gets calls from her previous school friends. I laugh because I wonder if eventually these kids will follow their parent's lead and choose to be friends with "the right kids". In the meantime I once again was in the gossip girl's version of "the in mom's" and was glad that we no longer are forced to run in that circle.
Emily's friends are all very different and that makes me glad that she likes people for who they are. Whether it is her little friend J-whose dad picks him up and drops him off everyday in a new H4, S-who is the most homily child I have ever seen and she worships Emily, O-whose is full of energy and walks her own path in life, C-whose mom is the VP of students at the school I work at, or I-whose mom is a whole other post in itself. I never would have guessed that the whole mom thing would feel like high school all over again but at least Em has no idea.
12.05.2008
Shame on you grandma!
So every family has holiday traditions. In the Heskett family there is a Thanksgiving/Christmas tradition that I have come to love. They eat dinner at straight up noon and then spend the afternoon playing games, cards, and watching holiday movies together. Bret and I have always loved to play games, in fact our hall closet is so full of different board games that we have had to stash some in other closets as well.
Games are so loved in our family that there are always several under our tree at Christmas. Last year in fact Bret and I got the same game for each other unexpectantly. Bret's new favorite game is his PS3. His favorites are NCAA football and a couple of weird fighting games. I am really excited to see that the video game world is starting to come out with some family friendly games. We are getting the monopoly game and trivial pursuit for the PS3. Eventually we hope to get the wii and they have even cooler games for kids. Check out these links for the latest games for the people on your list and tell me your favorite game to play, board game, video game, computer game?
1) http://www.ea.com/
One year on the eve of Thanksgiving at Bret's parents house his mom, aunt, uncle, grandmother (85 at the time), sister, and us all sat down to play a new game that Bret and I had brought. It was called Beyond Balderdash. 
Balderdash is a game of bluffing or in Bret's family...BS'ing. Balderdash would just give a word and everyone would write down what they thought the word meant. Then taking turns a person would read all of the written definitions including the real definition. Then each person would vote for which definition was correct. You got points for guessing the real definition and if people voted for your crap definition. Beyond Balderdash was the same except it included more categories such as Movie Titles where you had to give the plot gist, dates where you had to tell why the date was significant, etc.
Balderdash is a game of bluffing or in Bret's family...BS'ing. Balderdash would just give a word and everyone would write down what they thought the word meant. Then taking turns a person would read all of the written definitions including the real definition. Then each person would vote for which definition was correct. You got points for guessing the real definition and if people voted for your crap definition. Beyond Balderdash was the same except it included more categories such as Movie Titles where you had to give the plot gist, dates where you had to tell why the date was significant, etc.On this particular evening the list of players was perfect for an evening of fun and proved to not disappoint. Bret and his uncle both believe that they are the kings of BS, his grandmother is creative but naive and his young sister made his mom blush on several occasions. On one particular turn his Aunt had the category of movie title and although I can't remember the exact title it was something like Girls Night Out. When his aunt collected the different answers she had to leave the room to compose herself. She was crying she was laughing so hard and we were anxiously waiting her return. Trying her best to keep a straight face she read through the definitions and we were aware of her difficulty to keep from laughing. The definitions were scandalous and one stuck out as extra R rated. After everyone voted Bret's mom started to lecture Bret's sister about the inappropriateness of her answer when his aunt stepped in to say that in fact it was his grandmother in her distinct writing that had submitted the R rated definition. Bret's grandmother smiled shyly and just replied that a title like that sounded too fast for her times.
I feel bad that my memory of what exactly was said is still pretty hazy but the point was how much fun we had and how hard we laughed. Games are an opportunity to have fun with each other. We love the competitiveness of it and it is something people of all ages can do together. Our four year old loves to play games and has all of the classics and then some. Her favorite games are Cariboo (we call this the ball game and it is my 2 year old's favorite too), Hi Ho Cherry-O, Memory, and the Kids version of Sequence (she calls it the animal game). Games teach kids to take turns, how to win some and lose some, and sometimes about counting/numbers/colors, etc.
Games are so loved in our family that there are always several under our tree at Christmas. Last year in fact Bret and I got the same game for each other unexpectantly. Bret's new favorite game is his PS3. His favorites are NCAA football and a couple of weird fighting games. I am really excited to see that the video game world is starting to come out with some family friendly games. We are getting the monopoly game and trivial pursuit for the PS3. Eventually we hope to get the wii and they have even cooler games for kids. Check out these links for the latest games for the people on your list and tell me your favorite game to play, board game, video game, computer game?1) http://www.ea.com/
2) http://blog.parentbloggers.com/
This post is part of a weekend blog blast sponsored by Parent Bloggers and Electronic Arts.
This post is part of a weekend blog blast sponsored by Parent Bloggers and Electronic Arts.
Here’s how to participate:
Write a post on your blog about the games you play at family holiday gatherings. Post anytime this weekend -Friday, December 5 to Sunday, December 7 and include links to:
1) http://www.ea.com
Write a post on your blog about the games you play at family holiday gatherings. Post anytime this weekend -Friday, December 5 to Sunday, December 7 and include links to:
1) http://www.ea.com
Make sure to send your blog post link to parentbloggers@gmail.com and we’ll round them up here at PBN - so give your post a creative title!
12.04.2008
Trying Something New
So in an effort to try something different and maybe save a little money we are going to have a friend take our Christmas photos this year. As a new mom you make many promises to yourself about how you are going to raise your kids, what traditions you are going to continue/start, rules of life to live by, etc. etc. One of the things that I have committed to myself is getting our family's pictures taken regularly. As with all families, our first born Emily had a million pictures taken (I think we got her pictures done every three months plus major holidays) and then with our second it dwindled. So being the realistic mom that I am I have set up non-negotiable dates to get pictures done. Each child gets their pictures taken on or close to their birthday. On Emily's birthday I also have the two get their pictures together but no solo pictures of Palmer. We get a family picture taken every year at Christmas and the kids together again. I know that Palmer's birthday is just a month later but I have to stick to this plan because it is fair. This way each child has pictures by themselves on their birthdays and together every six months.
This was our second Christmas and family picture. Emily was a year and half old.
Although both kids get their pictures taken at school I usually get the smallest package available or just their class picture for the scrapbook. They are NEVER as good as when I take them to a photographer because they are not smiling, have weird looks on their face, hair is out of place, or they just look awkward. Since Emily was born we have always gone to the same place, Portrait Innovations. (This is not an ad just wanted to let everyone know about a place I really like). They do an OK job. The nice thing is 1) They take a million shots so you can always find at least a couple that you really like 2) They have good backgrounds & props and they use a hand held camera that allows for different poses 3) They print your pictures in less than a 1/2 hour 4) They are reasonably priced and always have a $9.99 package for your favorite shot that has more than enough pictures to give some to family.
So as I mentioned early we are going to have a good friend that is a on the side photographer take some Christmas shots this year. We have our tree all decorated and I am going to wrap a couple of presents and get a poinsettia for our background. We are also going to try and go outside and do some casual shots if the weather cooperates. I have our clothes all picked out and I think it will be fun. IF it works it will save money and most importantly we won't have to go in during this stressful season. One of the things that is not fun at all is that EVERYONE tries to get pictures in during the holidays. Even if you make your appointment at a great time for the kids (ie. 10-11am on a Sat morning after everyone has ate and no one is ready for a nap yet) you most likely have to wait forever because they are always running behind (you can't make every two year old sit and smile and those mom's want a great shot just like I do) and kids are running crazy. Hubs is a patient man but even this starts to stress him out. So the plan is to get shots this weekend see how things turn out and worse case scenario we attempt to make last minute apt at PI which will probably be on a week night at 8pm or something. We shall see!
This was our second Christmas and family picture. Emily was a year and half old.12.03.2008
The Perfect Gift
No surprise when I tell you that I love Christmas and gift buying. It is not so much just the joy of shopping but of finding something that the recipient really wanted/needed that they may or may not have asked for. I keep a small notebook in my purse and write things down throughout the year and of course ask. Some people are super easy (mom, sister, and kids) and others are really hard (hubs, dad, and FIL). Even though hubs swears he doesn't read this blog I am not taking any chances by spoiling the surprise here but let me just say that I had something made that he is going to love b/c it is hilarious. I am not sure who will enjoy it more...him or the nurses on his labor floor and clinic. I have been desperately trying to buy a rare set of OZ books that he has wanted forever but have not been able to find anything in my price range. If you know anyone that has something like that for sale please send me their way. Otherwise he gets a few things that he needs and a couple more fun things (games, accessories for his new iPhone, etc).
I have found super great ideas for everyone except my two BIL's and brother. I hate giving gift cards b/c they seem so impersonal but have resolved myself into understanding that some people just want to shop for myself. I am having a hard time making a decision as to what to ask for for myself. Nothing to expensive and something practical....usually something for the kitchen or to wear.
The kids are super easy this year b/c they are really into toys and presents. I am excited because this year they are excited too. Emily's top choices are the American Girl Bitty twins and a stroller with two seats. I know, I know I can't believe we are starting this obsession this early either buy hey at least the American Girl dolls are characters that I think are good role models. She also wants the cupcake maker which was really funny. She saw the commercial and about passed out she was so excited trying to get me to watch it. Palmer is all boy and is into cars/racetracks, Thomas the Train, and dinosaurs. I have had a hard time finding something that is age appropriate for him. Most things say 3 and older but I can't figure out why. He also has a bday around the corner so I always have to leave a few things for him to get then as well.
Bret actually does a pretty good job getting me somethings that I want along with some things he thinks I will like. Before I met him I totally would have preferred to pick out exactly what I was going to get. I gave lists that were super specific (aka catalogs with circles, emails with links, etc). He did not like this and would try to balance a couple of those things with things he picked out. Now I have started to really enjoy that. I think it means a lot that he thinks about what I would like and tries to get those things. Funny, last year we bought each other the exact same game even though neither of asked for it.
Emily is starting to reach the age of understanding things beside getting presents and Santa. I am going to take her shopping to get something for her dad and Palmer. We are also going to buy presents for the Catholic Charities and talk about giving to those who don't have as much. She is very giving and I think this will make her feel good too.
Besides the shopping and holiday music that I listen to non-stop I also have a huge Christmas candy making and holiday baking weekend. Stay tuned for some of my favorite recipes and pictures of the kids decorating cookies. I always give baskets for hubs' work departments, my office, teachers, neighbors, etc.
I have found super great ideas for everyone except my two BIL's and brother. I hate giving gift cards b/c they seem so impersonal but have resolved myself into understanding that some people just want to shop for myself. I am having a hard time making a decision as to what to ask for for myself. Nothing to expensive and something practical....usually something for the kitchen or to wear.
The kids are super easy this year b/c they are really into toys and presents. I am excited because this year they are excited too. Emily's top choices are the American Girl Bitty twins and a stroller with two seats. I know, I know I can't believe we are starting this obsession this early either buy hey at least the American Girl dolls are characters that I think are good role models. She also wants the cupcake maker which was really funny. She saw the commercial and about passed out she was so excited trying to get me to watch it. Palmer is all boy and is into cars/racetracks, Thomas the Train, and dinosaurs. I have had a hard time finding something that is age appropriate for him. Most things say 3 and older but I can't figure out why. He also has a bday around the corner so I always have to leave a few things for him to get then as well.
Bret actually does a pretty good job getting me somethings that I want along with some things he thinks I will like. Before I met him I totally would have preferred to pick out exactly what I was going to get. I gave lists that were super specific (aka catalogs with circles, emails with links, etc). He did not like this and would try to balance a couple of those things with things he picked out. Now I have started to really enjoy that. I think it means a lot that he thinks about what I would like and tries to get those things. Funny, last year we bought each other the exact same game even though neither of asked for it.
Emily is starting to reach the age of understanding things beside getting presents and Santa. I am going to take her shopping to get something for her dad and Palmer. We are also going to buy presents for the Catholic Charities and talk about giving to those who don't have as much. She is very giving and I think this will make her feel good too.
Besides the shopping and holiday music that I listen to non-stop I also have a huge Christmas candy making and holiday baking weekend. Stay tuned for some of my favorite recipes and pictures of the kids decorating cookies. I always give baskets for hubs' work departments, my office, teachers, neighbors, etc.
12.02.2008
Did you miss me?
It has been a while since I have posted but I am sure you understand. I had house guests (in-laws), Thanksgiving, Black Friday, a trip to New York, and of course putting up our holiday decorations. Excuses aside it feels good to be blogging again and I have a lot of fun stuff to tell all of you (all 2 of you).
I think you might have guessed that I was little nervous about my in-laws coming to town for a week. It was a great visit though..probably one of the best we have ever had. Me and MIL got along fabulously and everything went really smoothly. On Wednesday that kids stayed home with them and got to make gingerbread houses, read stories, go for a walk, and help make bread and pies. T-day was delicious and in the evening we watched Fred Clause. (Cute movie.)
On BF MIL and I hit it hard at 3 am in line at Walmart. I got almost everything I went out for. I hit Walmart first, then Toy 'R US and finally the mall (Sears, Boscov's, & BonTon). I am over half way finished with my shopping and I know what I am getting just about everyone. I also made a purchase for myself as well. I got a fabulous new sewing machine that is everything a girl could ever want. (How old am I to be excited about a sewing machine?) I even used it this weekend to make my famous baby blanket for the new arrival who came during the wee hours of Saturday morning.
Saturday we rode a bus with Bret's hospital group to NY city and spend a fun filled day exploring the big apple. We saw the "real Santa from TV" as Emily puts it and saw the famous store front windows. We took a tour that was nearly as cheesy as I thought it would be and saw everything from Little Italy, SOHO, Chinatown, the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Center. It was a great but exhausting day. Sunday was spent in our PJ's cleaning up the house and getting out the tree and Christmas decorations. Monday the in-laws took a road trip on their own to DC and they left early this morning. It really was a fun and peaceful visit.
I am still in denial that it is really December and that I can play non stop Christmas music in my car, office, and home without people looking at me too crazy. I am excited for my SIL & future BIL to come visit us for the holidays and then another big adventure to KS. In the mean time we have birthday parties for Emily, dance class, and a couple of work weekends for Bret. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the crazy shopping, baking, memory making opportunities that come with season.
I think you might have guessed that I was little nervous about my in-laws coming to town for a week. It was a great visit though..probably one of the best we have ever had. Me and MIL got along fabulously and everything went really smoothly. On Wednesday that kids stayed home with them and got to make gingerbread houses, read stories, go for a walk, and help make bread and pies. T-day was delicious and in the evening we watched Fred Clause. (Cute movie.)
On BF MIL and I hit it hard at 3 am in line at Walmart. I got almost everything I went out for. I hit Walmart first, then Toy 'R US and finally the mall (Sears, Boscov's, & BonTon). I am over half way finished with my shopping and I know what I am getting just about everyone. I also made a purchase for myself as well. I got a fabulous new sewing machine that is everything a girl could ever want. (How old am I to be excited about a sewing machine?) I even used it this weekend to make my famous baby blanket for the new arrival who came during the wee hours of Saturday morning.
Saturday we rode a bus with Bret's hospital group to NY city and spend a fun filled day exploring the big apple. We saw the "real Santa from TV" as Emily puts it and saw the famous store front windows. We took a tour that was nearly as cheesy as I thought it would be and saw everything from Little Italy, SOHO, Chinatown, the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Center. It was a great but exhausting day. Sunday was spent in our PJ's cleaning up the house and getting out the tree and Christmas decorations. Monday the in-laws took a road trip on their own to DC and they left early this morning. It really was a fun and peaceful visit.
I am still in denial that it is really December and that I can play non stop Christmas music in my car, office, and home without people looking at me too crazy. I am excited for my SIL & future BIL to come visit us for the holidays and then another big adventure to KS. In the mean time we have birthday parties for Emily, dance class, and a couple of work weekends for Bret. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the crazy shopping, baking, memory making opportunities that come with season.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)