Am I Going Downhill?

I must admit, this creepy little thought has entered my mind a lot in the last few weeks: Did I peak too early? I mean, I used to think I was pretty hot stuff: I'd finished 2 degrees and had 2 children by the age of 25. After the twins turned one, I taught classes at a liberal arts college. I held down a church calling, and was a member of a monthly card exchange (I made 20 hand-made cards a month).

In the last 2 years, I quit teaching, quit my card exchange, rarely pull out my scrapbook supplies or play the piano-- what am I doing with my life????? I felt totally busy this week because I had something every morning which required me to get dressed by 9:00 A.M--doctor appointment , volunteer at school, visiting teaching, babysitting . . . .you know--really demanding stuff which required a lot of brain power and stamina!?!

So, I know you are thinking that my house must be pretty rockin' since I have very few other distractions, but, sadly, I made curtains 3 months ago that haven't been hung, my laundry room is exploding with clothes that need to be folded, and my bathroom is in need of a wipe-down. . . . yep, I'm feeling pretty discouraged today wondering what I am doing with my life-- amazingly, I still feel VERY busy all the time.

I know, I know, in my defense my husband is rarely around and at least I read to my kids everyday. We all are generally showered, and I have been known to give a pretty fun Sharing Time every now and again. . . .but still, I feel a little down.

Does anyone else feel this way? Did I really peak too early?

when residents don't go to sleep:

Yesterday as D read a patient note he had written (a note is the doctors assesment that goes in s patient's file), he realized he had made a funy blunder. He had been on call Friday night, didn't get any sleep and was busy all Saturday morning. At about 1:00 P.M. he finished his work, except that he had 8 patient notes to dictate (to dictate a note, there is a phone number he calls into and a transcriptionist uses the recording to generate a written file).

Later that day, D was telling me how difficult it was to dictate notes while running on no sleep in 32 hours. He said he fell asleep several times and had to rewind or start over. Little did he realize how out of it he really was because as he was reading a note on a newborn baby who had hydrocephalus and bowel issues, he realized he had left a funny line: "The patient says he loves his parents very much and wishes them a happy new year."

D totally doesn't remember saying that and called the transcription service to ask them if it really was right. They said they had rewound the tape several times to make sure that they got that particular line right--I'm sure they also had a few laughs at his expense.

I think I've been hoodwinked

I had to wake up the kids this morning to go to school, and Eliza groaned about how tired she was. Then she said her tummy was aching. She said the same thing on Saturday night and threw up, so I didn't want to risk an explosion at school.

She is now downstairs happily watching T.V. with a smile on her face. She just requested an apple. I asked her if she needed a barf bucket and she said no. I don't think she's really sick. . . . . .

December Pictures

(including Kindergarten Christmas Program, sledding, and Christmas morning)

Epiphany, by Davis

"Mom, did you know that 'to' is spelled in 3 different ways? T-O, T-O-O, and T-O-W?"

Well, he got most of that right. . . .

Happenings of the last 2 weeks

Yeah, it's been a pretty good two weeks:

-D got off Christmas
-We stayed up until midnight on New Year's Eve at the Hughes. I don't think they were even planning on having us there that late, but we stayed, and stayed. It was so fun! I am usually a party pooper and go to bed early. . . .but not this year!
-D got off New Year's Day
-I've taken a nap almost every single day of the holiday with the kids watching movies sitting on top of me--quality mommy-time, you see!
-I've been hitting the treadmill again after a 3 month hiatus--walking, yes, but at least I'm doing something!
-Christmas decorations are finally packed away
-I actually downloaded an MP3--Just Dance-- and the kids' and I tried to figure out 'the robot' in the living room for an hour. Then we cleaned the bathroom (incidentally, Davis has a pretty good robot).

Sorry, no interesting stories, I've been trying to think of something, but I can't!

Wishing I were a witch right about

NOW!!

Wouldn't it be so cool if you could just utter a simple incantation, "Noelimus diminuendo" and all your Christmas decorations were gone? Right about now it totally stinks to be a muggle. . . . .

Christmas Grinch

I'll post pictures later. . . .but I can't stop thinking about this experience. We were planning to drive to Alpine Christmas afternoon to be with the family, but the storm was really bad down in Utah County so we ended up going to a movie near our house instead--The Tale of Desperaux. I know, I know, seeing a movie on Christmas makes someone else have to work on the holiday. . . . . . . .I don't want to think about that and feel guilt--so I won't.

The weirdest thing happened to D while he was waiting in line to fill up a drink. There was a little machine and people were waiting patiently when a woman came storming up and asked, "Is this the line for drinks?" "Yes," everyone else replied. Well, the woman stood there for a moment and then exclaimed, "One person at the fountain at a time? That is so inefficient!" She then stormed past everyone in line and began grabbing two cups. D said she practically knocked over this really tiny lady who was taking her turn.

As she began her violent drink-filling escapade, someone else in line said, "Why can't you just wait 60 seconds till it's your turn?" This strange woman then smugly replied, "Sixty seconds? In my line of work 60 seconds is worth 100 dollars." She then kept muttering things about one person filling at a time when there was room for two--how inefficient (D said she used that word a lot).

I think the tiny woman who was being pushed by crazy lady had had enough. She then asked, "What line of work are you in? I am an attorney, and I don't make 100 dollars in a minute. . . . ."
I guess that line--admittedly a bit of a stinger-- pushed this woman over the edge. She was done getting her drink, but had to wait in line--in front of the tiny attorney she had insulted and butted in front of. She kept turning around and throwing comments at her. . . . "An attorney? You must be a horrible one to be so inefficient!" And then she started raising her voice and throwing the B-word at this lady. D just couldn't believe what he was seeing (mind you the little attorney probably had some curt replies which further egged on the crazy-lady behavior). He felt like if he intervened and said something the crazy lady would start hitting people! Now he wishes he would have said, "Why don't you go in front of me. We can see that you are very anxious to go and get to your movie."

I am just one of those people who perseverates about stuff like this. I can't stop thinking about this lady. No one likes waiting in line for a drink (or whatever else) when you know the movie has already started--but I can hardly believe someone would behave that way over missing a few minutes. I generally try to give people the benefit of the doubt (like when they cut you off, or scurry in line in front of you at the grocery store), but I can not think of any way to let this lady off the hook. Her behavior was uncalled for! And on Christmas!! What an unhapy life she must have to lose her cool over a drink machine. . . . even an 'inefficient' one.

In the meantime, we keep trying to figure out what 'line of work' she must have been in-- food service? D thinks she must be a pole dancer. . . . . what do you think? Maybe a government agent?

Today

will go down in my history books as the most useless day ever. . . . I don't think I did anything worthwhile (no laundry, leftovers for all meals, watched 3 episodes of 'The Suite Life' with the kids). I didn't even change out of pajamas until after 1:00.

What Men are Good For

Roger has, once again, worked his toddler magic and jammed a CD into the player (yeah, I know, we've got to get CD's out of his reach . . . I like to blame all problems like this on the twins-- "Oh, the twins left out a marker and Roger got it--never my fault).

I've been ignoring the issue, happily tuning my radio dial to a Christmas station of choice. D, however, was right on it when he discovered the problem. He set to work this afternoon and had SONY parts scattered all over the table until it was sufficiently disassembled to retrieve the offending blockage. I took a nap, and ta-dah!! I have a working CD player again.

It's not that I am intimidated by unscrewing or anything, by I am grateful that someone in the family will jump at the opportunity to play with electronics. I'm sure as a boy, D pulled apart so many of these items he basically knows how it will work.

I'm grateful he is the one who remembers to climb on the roof and winterize the swamp-cooler (though, thankfully, this will be the last year--we've now got central air, woohoo!) I'm glad he doesn't ignore the drooping fence post whose base rotted out last winter--yep, he's on the job, digging out a huge hole to remove it. There are many other things that I ignore, but are of paramount importance to him.I'm glad he notices and does things that I don't.

Now, if I could only get him to pick up his pajamas from the bathroom floor in the morning. . . . .