THIS AND THAT

First things first...I don't have picutres to post with this one. I promise I'll start taking more, and uploading them for your viewing pleasure. Second, lots of things have been happening lately. Just no time to sit and write. So here is a splattering of what we have been up to(brace yourself...it's a long one. You may have to read in a few sittings!)....

RASHES
I had a nasty break out to some medication I was taking. It started small and jumped to insane rather quickly. I have run the gammet of little itchy red dots, to hives, to all over rash, to the starts of ulcers down my esophogus, to streaking (no, not me running nekked), to hyper-sensitive skin that reddens when I touch it, to no outward appearance of a rash but just itching like mad. It's been going on for almost 3 weeks now. I wish I could say it's been fun. Thank you Zyrtec and Benadryl for keeping it under control, but now I'm taking prednisone as well and let me tell ya...NOT A DRUG I RECOMMEND! I now have this itchy rash plus am killer moody where all I want to do is throw something, yell at someone, and then stare off in space in a mindless wonder. Yeah.

SACRAMENTO
Aces and I took a last minute run-away to California for a week. He had some crazy cool class to take all day every day, and I got to sleep in, read books, lounge by the pool, (sounds fair, right?) exercise, and, ok, fret about my little ones at home. It was good times, but I will never ever ever take a last minute trip for 7 days with my kids split up all over Timbucktoo. There were a couple days Aces had to convince me not to run to the airport and catch the next flight. My biggest regret that the trip is over...70 degree weather. Try coming from the bliss of the sun back to blizzards and 30 degree days. Yuck.

MY WORK
Love my job, hate my hours. I got home from Cali last Saturday night just to jump back in the swing of things 2 hours after walking in my door. It was a great weekend though. It's nice to work in an ER were we occasionally see patients who should legitimately be there. Saturday night was full of those kinds of patients. I ended my shift with a man who was in the throws of a MI. He came in at perfect timing and we were able to get him stable and out our doors to a bigger hospital with a cath lab within 40 minutes of his arrival. Looks like all will be well with him.
I didn't get to go to sleep when I got home. I had choir practice early in the morning and had to go to church since we were singing for Easter. I finally got to go to bed around 1:30, just to wake up 3 hours later and start another night at the hospital. We had a 91 year old lady come in around midnight with really bad blood pressure and O2 sats, a distended belly, dehydrated, etc. Within 2 1/2 hours of her being there, she stopped talking to us (within seconds) and had yucky crud out of her mouth. She dropped fast and hard and so I called a code. Usually I don't get to help with codes because I have my job to do (orders to put in and people to gather, etc), but my job was done with her since she had been there a while. So I jumped in and got to witness the code from beginning to the sad end. This will sound bad , but it was really cool for me to get to bag her. I've never been that involved. I was asked if I wanted to do chest compressions but that was still a bit scary for me since I have not had that opportunity before. In hind-sight, it would have been a really great experience. Anyway, we coded her for about 30 minutes, and she didn't make it. I guess when it's your time, it's your time.
I worked 2 more shifts this week, and all I can say is, I AM TIRED! Add that to the mix of the prednisone. I am really great company.

EASTER
What was that?

"PEE-PEE, DONE, WIPE!"
I know, I know. You really don't care. My little Mei came home from her week at my cousins all excited about the potty. No not the big one, but her makeshift potty that she has created from the old baby bath. She likes to sit in the end of it and say "I pee-pee! I done! I wipe!" It was completely adorable on day one. But that is all she wants all day long, and she will do it for as long as I will let her, and then goes into a screaming fit when I take her off to put a diaper on her. Then we wrestle and I end up feeling...well..."pooped."
There are probably some of you out there saying, "Yea! She's ready to start potty-training! Jump on board with her!" You bet. When I am done feeling like a zombie from late nights, and from the before mentioned blissful state that I am in due to my prednisone. You bet.
(Oh, I guess I could mention, she actually did something this morning! Way to go girl!)

ACES WORK
So it wouldn't be fair to Aces if I didn't mention that all he has done since we have come home from our trip is WORK. There hasn't been a day that he hasn't been called out or had to work extra hours. He is so tired. But I'm going to be selfish and say, it REALLY STINKS FOR ME TOO! I have been lonely and let's be honest here, I could really use his help.
Ok, back to him. From tri-county investigations to fires to goodness knows what else, I am so glad he does what he does and we have people like him in my community to clean up the messes. Just wish he had 9-5 hours!

TO WRAP IT UP
It's been a good, yet crazy couple of weeks around here. I don't know if we will ever know what "normal" means again, and I am afraid some days to realize that this is "normal." I think we are both having envious moments of Grandma and Grandpa who have both retired within the last two months! Breathe the fresh air for us and enjoy those sunny days on the golf course. We'll be here...wiping bums, dosing meds, working odd hours, and saying "someday, we're gonna miss this!"

Seeing as though I don't have much to write about these days, here goes another tag courtesy of Kimmy Kimmy Cocoa Puffs:

Two names you go by:
1. Lolo
2. Mom

Two things you are wearing now.
1. Scrubs
2. toe nail polish

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. Take a bubble bath
2. Run away with my hubby

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. A nap
2. an ooey gooey donut

Two favorite pets you have had/have
1. Barney, a black poodle we had when I was little
2. Sampson, our boxer we bought together for Valentine's day before we were married

Two people who will fill this out:
1. Beebs
2. Noskits

Two things you did last night:
1. worked at the hospital...(I got to help in a code!! That was so cool!)
2. watched Barnyard

Two things you ate/drank today:
1. Fruit Loops (Yuck! I'm out of Raisin Bran)
2. Hot Dogs

Two people you've talked to today (other than the people that live in your home):
1. Kathy-Chunkabears preschool teacher
2. Jen

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. Going to the library
2. Grocery shopping

Longest Car Rides you've been on:
1. Washington-Virginia (so long ago I don't remember it)
2. Utah-Missouri (Taking Kim's family home when Chels was about 18 months)

Favorite holidays:
1. Memorial Day--marks the beginning of the camping season and summer time!
2. Christmas

Two favorite Beverages:
1. Peach flavor crystal light (walmart brand)
2. Raspberry Lemonade


If you are like me and are lacking something to blog about, consider yourself tagged!!!

TICKLING THE IVORIES

Thanks to my niece Chelsea for the heads up on a fun blog for all you piano playing fools out there! my-piano.blogspot.com has free downloads of really great sheet music. And if you wanna hear someone play incredibly well, give her a call! She is amamzing! Kind of makes me wanna go upstairs and tickle the ole' ivories a bit more often. Thanks again Chels!

LANGUAGE LESSONS

We received a rather unpleasant phone call from the primary president Thursday night. We were informed that Pal has been using a rather naughty word at church lately. You know, the kind of word that makes you feel like you just got punched in the stomach? Yeah. That kind of word. Apparently, this is not the first time it has happened. Unfortunately, this is the first time anyone has told us of this problem. Are people that afraid to talk to a kid's parents? Come on people! I'm not scary! (Maybe it's Aces!!! Ha ha ha) And whatever happened to "let's nip it in the bud"?

I'll admit, I too have heard him use a couple of nasties, and have casually talked to him about it. But this particular word? OUCH! I don't know where he has come up with it. (Now sadly, this post points a bit of a finger at me as well. I know for a fact that Pal has heard me use yucky language at really raw times. BUT NOT THIS WORD!)

So how to "nip it in the bud"? Pal has really wanted to be considered a man lately. Yes, a 6 year old little man. So I treated him like a man. Aces and I sat him down after school on Thursday and had a really productive adult-like conversation. We explained what words were bad, (giving a list so there is no confusion...is that a bad thing? Really, I'm asking.) why they are bad, and read from the scriptures in Matt 15:11. He knows that the scriptures are Heavenly Father's words. He knows they are true. And after reading that scripture, he knows that to be a better man, he needs to watch what comes out of his mouth. He has promised to try his best to be the best little man he can be. And I, in return, have promised to be the best mom I can be by being a better example with my words and actions. What a wake up call!!!